1814-1853 - The Missionary Register [Sections relating to New Zealand.] - 1849 - Church Missionary Society. Eastern District, Western District, p 59-63

March 9, 1847 --After a walk of about six hours, exclusive of delays, we reached Te Awapuni, and found Mr. and Mrs. Colenso and children well. The Natives are gathering together from all sides to be present at the approaching administration of the Lord's Supper.

March 21 --Many Natives are come together from distant villages, and though we might have had a much larger concourse, yet there were at Morning Service about 600 inside the Chapel and without. The Lord's Supper was administered to 157 Communicants. We then held English Service, at which, however, none of the White People from the Whaling Station were present In the afternoon I attended School, and then followed Evening Service, during which Mr. Hamlin baptized 53 Natives. The people of this district are evidently improving in their attention under Mr. Hamlin's care, and though, for a long time, there has been much want of spiritual life, it may now be hoped they are reviving.

April 19 --There is some excitement in the Pa to-day, in consequence of a proposed matrimonial alliance. A large assemblage of the opposing parties is expected to-morrow.

April 20 --I prepared to meet the class of Native Teachers, but found the Natives too much excited to allow of my proceeding with so peaceful an engagement. I spent the whole day among the Natives, and had an opportunity of speaking with many who for a long season have absented themselves from all Christian Instruction. When the devil wishes to assemble the people for mischief his call is quickly responded to. The general feeling expressed to-day has been peaceable, and toward evening there seemed to be a prospect of a quiet termination.

April 21 --Last night the woman was sent back to the people who are opposed to the match, with the understanding that if she persists in her partiality the party shall allow her to marry. The case is thus--the woman is a widow, and her late husband's friends wish her to marry a relative of her husband's; but she, acting upon the principle that she is free, gives the preference to a suitor from another tribe. There is still much excitement, but the people are beginning to disperse.

July 1 --I proceeded to Taikawakawa. Here several Natives have been concerned in a matter which requires serious notice. On Sunday last a small whale was driven on shore, and though they could have secured it with a rope they proceeded to cut it up immediately, without regard to the Sabbath. There were several who exclaimed against the proceeding, but it was to no purpose. The people implicated were chiefly Candidates for Baptism, and have consequently thrown themselves back. I invited them to come to Service, but said I should not allow them to attend the Candidate Class for some time. However, they preferred remaining away, which is a proof

they have a very inadequate idea of the extent of their offence.

March 2 --Our native party is about thirty in number, encamped in the open air, divided into small parties around their respective fires, and the full moon shining down upon us with extreme splendour.

March 3 --We were roused up at break of day by a fall of heavy rain, the descent of which awoke the Natives from their slumbers to gather up their clothes and hurry onward to a place of better shelter. We walked in the rain for two hours to Wangaeho, by which time the weather began to clear. We dried our clothes by the fire in a large empty shed, while some of the party cooked a quantity of potatoes.

That our labours have not been in vain in the Lord may be gathered from the following observations-- At the beginning of the year several of the outposts paid no attention whatever to Schools: now, however, at those places both Adult and Children's Schools are conducted by the Native Teachers with tolerable regularity, though the progress made by the scholars is slow. A desire, too, for reading the Scriptures, and to be instructed in its blessed contents, has been revived among several parties during the last six months. The number attending these Meetings at the Station has averaged, during the last six months, 70. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been devoted to Natives who come every week from a distance of six, seven, or eight miles, for the purpose above mentioned. Many of those baptized, who used seldom to be seen at a Place of Public Worship, have lately attended with considerable regularity. And, lastly, several parties, who were perfectly heathen at the beginning of last year, have, I trust, enlisted under, the banner of the Cross. May they be enabled to fight manfully against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to remain Christ's soldiers and servants to their lives' end! While, however, the Lord has thus condescended to own and bless the labours of His servants to promote His glory to a degree beyond what could reasonably have been expected, knowing what man is, it becomes us to rejoice with trembling.

Nov. 9, 1846 --Many Ngatiruanui Natives arrived: my native room was filled with them before I was up. The entrance-room to my house is appropriated to all who come, being, strictly speaking, a native parlour, one corner of which is fitted up as a surgery. Whoever comes, immediately enters this room as a matter of course, and raps for me: few presume to venture further into the house unless invited. They had a list of passages marked for me to explain, which, with distributing medicine, occupied the whole morning.

Nov. 13 --I was grieved to find that Himeona had not taken any of the medicine I had given him: he seemed almost insensible to my words. Poor fellow! the disease appears to be fast preying upon his intellect. I told him his only hope was complying with the directions given him.

Nov. 14 --The person who came to my house this morning for Himeona's food brought his bottle for more medicine. It appears he was so aroused by my words yesterday, that, to make up for lost time, he had since then actually swallowed a week's medicine. How difficult to manage native patients!

Some of this Pa came--for my room is seldom empty--to give me the heads of William's Sermon while I was at Mataongaonga yesterday. It was on the unity of Christ's Church; and he said, as in the House of God there were many things taken from different places, yet forming one whole, so was it with the Church.

"See," said he, "the stones are made of clay but cemented with lime, so as to form one compact mass; the door is the work of Europeans; the glass of the windows, the lock, the paint, the nails, are from England; the wood from the forest; the lime from the sea-shore; but all combine to form one perfect whole. So is the spiritual Church composed of many parts: our Minister is from England; I" -- the speaker -- "am from Taupo; and many of you are from different tribes; but all united form one in Christ Jesus. Again, in the European Houses there are many rooms--some for food, some for sitting in, some for sleeping: thus it is with God's Kingdom. In my Father's house are many mansions. Again, some rooms are carpeted, and ornamented with beautiful seats and tables; therefore no one with dirty blankets or muddy feet is admitted lest he should spoil them: so in heaven can nothing unclean or unholy enter, for every thing there is beautiful and lovely." I am much pleased in being able to remark that my Teachers have greatly improved in preaching, and this not only in fluency but in the spiritual character of their discourses. I make a rule of calling upon them alternately to preach before me every week, and allow them to select their subjects: this causes them to take a passage, and think over it, several days before they are called upon; and thus many of their discourses are such as make a strong impression on their hearers.

Dec. 3 --As we went along, Rimarata said the working of the Spirit was like their catching pigeons. They placed a long stick over a stream in an inclined position, and a second one horizontally over the water, and then concealed themselves behind a screen of leaves. When the bird alights on the stick it keeps looking on both sides, and then they have to hold their breath, for if it hears them even breathe, it flies away. It then flies to the water, and, returning to the horizontal pole, is at once caught in the many snares set along it. "Thus it is," he said, "with the Holy Spirit. If it detects any thing wrong, if it finds our faith is mere lip-service, it flies away and leaves us; but if all be right, it alights and is secured."

April 30, 1847 --I had a long talk with the Natives of Werahatana. They spoke a deal about the Taupo Murders, 1 and said, in former times each tribe was hostile to its neighbour; but now all the tribes were one in Christ: that they had only to go and put Huiatahi 2 to death, and all would be right: that they were now like a bag of shot, which, if put into the fire, soon melted, and became one mass: so were they one in Christ, and thus strong enough to seize the murderer and put him to death.

Dec. 1, 1846 --I cannot but trust a great work is going on. I rejoice to behold a very inquiring spirit among my people, and it is accompanied with a great love of prayer. I am thankful that this is spreading in every direction. May the Lord own the work! Last night, long after midnight, I heard some praying most fervently.

Dec. 4 --After my tent-door was closed, Reihana, the Teacher, came and asked if it was right for them to hold their Evening Prayer-meeting together when I was near. I replied, Yes; that although I, as their Minister, took them to the well-spring of life, that was no reason why they should not go themselves and draw, to strengthen and refresh both themselves and me, their Minister, also. Their place of assembly was close to me, and I heard them offering up a most earnest prayer for the growth of the Word of God among them, and that God would bless their Minister, and give him power in this journey among them to sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts.

Dec. 11 --My Natives were all very glad to see me back, and said I had come in time to pray for rain, as they were afraid they should lose their crops through the continued drought: they do not appear to have had any thing like the rain we have had in the interior. I told them they ought to pray themselves that God would give them rain. They said they feared it would be the same here as in the days of Elias, when the drought continued three years and a half. I told them they wanted faith--that according to their faith it would be done unto them. John Williams said he had prayed for rain, and God had sent some; but as he did not possess sufficient faith the rain was small. I told them that if their faith were great they might say to Tongariro, Be thou plucked up and cast into the sea, and it would obey them. They said that before I went, when they complained they could take no fish, I bade them go in faith and pray to their Heavenly Father, and He would teach them how to throw their nets into the sea on the right side; that they had done so, and had taken the surprising number of 4000 sharks. George King said he thought there were nearer 8000. I told them, after such a proof of God's hearing prayer they should have persevered, and prayed one and all for rain. I preached this evening on the subject, and offered up the supplication for rain, to which all responded. May the Lord be pleased to hearken to the prayers of His people!

April 27, 1847 --In our Evening Prayer I called upon one of my Natives to pray. He prayed that the water of life, which flowed from the throne of the Most High, might flow into each of our hearts and quicken them with its vivifying influence; and that God would bless our enemies, especially naming Huiatahi, the murderer, and open heaven even to him.

April 18 --The Romish Teacher came to me this morning, and asked what he should do about his Service. I told him that, as soon as our morning meal was over, we should commence our Service; and therefore, if he and his people felt disposed, they had better attend, and afterward they could have their own; that as this was my first coming among them, and I came to preach the Word of God to them, they could not do less than come and hear what I had to say: he at once assented, and all were present. I trust

I was enabled to set forth Christ crucified as the only foundation of life, and to shew that the Word of God is the only true guide to a saving knowledge of Him. Immediately after Service I left for Papauwaka, Te Kihi's Pa, and as I ascended the hill I heard the Romish Litany to Mary commenced: the chanting of this forms the principal portion of their worship. They remain the same as they were, they observe the same customs, and preserve the same rites: of God's Word they are totally ignorant, and unless they have taught themselves to read and write they are unable to do so. It is remarkable how Romanism is seeking to establish itself in the central parts of the Island, where the scattered population are the furthest removed from thie Means of Grace and Gospel light, there being no resident Missionary in the wide district of Taupo. It appears as though they had selected the darkest spots, that their darkness might appear comparative light; or, by thus seizing the heart of the land, to gain eventually all its remotest outlets; but my faith assures me that, the fountains of the arteries being with us, vital blood will be generated, which will flow back to the centre, and finally purify the whole stream.