Part 13 (1/2)
With suppressed emotion, for many eyes were full of tears, the people sang--
”Tapwa meyoo ootaskewuk, Ispemik ayahchik,” etc.
”There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign.”
William was a sweet singer, and joined heartily with the rest in singing several verses of that grand old hymn. We had a presentiment that the end was not far off, but we little thought, as we looked into his radiant face, and heard his clear scriptural testimony, and his longings for rest and heaven, that this was to be the last Lovefeast in which our dear brother was to be with us. Ere another similar service was held, William Memotas had gone sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
James Cochrane, a Cla.s.s Leader, said,--
”I have great reason to bless G.o.d for the privileges and mercies I have had from him. I am so glad to be with you to-day in his house. I try to arrange all my huntings and journeys so as to be present at all of these love-feasts and sacraments. Since I decided, many years ago, to give up paganism and become a Christian, I have never missed one of these meetings, though sometimes I have had to take several days and travel hundreds of miles to get here. I only had to travel sixty miles on my snow-shoes to be here to-day. It has paid me well to come. I rejoice that G.o.d has enabled me to be faithful all these years since I started in His service. When I first began, I had a great many doubts and fears. The way seemed very long ahead of me. I felt so weak and so p.r.o.ne to sin. It seemed impossible that such a weak, unworthy creature as I could stand true and faithful; but trusting in G.o.d, and constantly endeavouring to exercise a living faith in Christ, I have been kept to this day, and I can say I realise a daily growth in grace. I ask G.o.d to give me His Holy Spirit to help me to follow Christ's example and to keep all of G.o.d's commandments. May I, too, prove faithful.”
Mary Cook, a very old woman, who has had to endure persecution for Christ's sake, spoke next. She said:
”I am very glad to be here once more. I have many pagan relatives who have no feeling of friends.h.i.+p towards me, because I am a follower of Jesus. But He is my Friend, so it is all right. I have been very sick, and thought that G.o.d was going to take me home to heaven. That thought made me very happy in my sickness. My poor little room often seemed light with the presence of my Lord. I love to dwell with G.o.d's people.
It is my chief joy. I refused to go and live with my relatives in the woods, even though I should be better off, because I love the house of G.o.d, and because I so love to wors.h.i.+p with G.o.d's people.”
Mary Oig said:
”Very happy do I feel in my heart to-day. My heart is filled with his love. I knew I love Him and his people; and His service is to me a great delight. Once, like many others, I was in the great darkness, wandering in sin; but G.o.d sought me by His Holy Spirit, and convinced me of my lost condition, and shewed me Himself as my only Hope, and enabled me to rejoice in his pardoning mercy through faith in the Atonement.
May G.o.d keep me faithful, that with you I may join around the Throne above.”
Thomas Mamanowatum, generally known as ”Big Tom,” on account of his almost gigantic size, was the next to speak. He is one of the best of men. I have used him to help me a good deal, and have ever found him one of the worthiest and truest a.s.sistants. His people all love and trust him. He is perhaps the most influential Indian in the village.
Tom said:
”I, too, desire to express my grat.i.tude to G.o.d for His great blessings and mercies to me. I am like David, who said, 'Come, all ye who fear the Lord, and I will tell you what He hath done for my soul.' He has taken me out of the pit of sin, and set me on the rock. So I rejoice, for I have felt and tasted of His love. When I think of what he has done for me, and then think of what I have been, I feel that I am not worthy even to stand up in such a place as this. But He is worthy, and so I must praise Him. I have a comfortable a.s.surance that He, my good Father, is contented with me. But it is only because the grace of G.o.d is sufficient to keep me. I am growing in grace, and I desire more than ever to glorify G.o.d in all I think, or speak, or do. I have been helping our Missionary at Beren's River in the good work among the people there. I often felt happy while endeavouring to point my heathen brethren to Jesus Christ, Who takes away the sins of the world. My first consecration was of myself, when converted to Christ. My second was of my family to Him. My third is of my cla.s.s. I am often very happy while trying to lead them on in the way to heaven. To-day I renew my vows of consecration. I offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, for He is my G.o.d and my portion for ever. As He is the Source of Love and Light and Safety, I want to be continually drawing nearer to Him.”
Very appropriate was the hymn which was next sung,--
”Ke-se-wog-ne-man-toom Ke-nah-te-tin,” etcetera,
”Nearer, my G.o.d, to Thee.”
After three verses of this beautiful hymn were sung, we had a large number of short testimonies. Some of the people beautifully expressed themselves by quoting pa.s.sages from their Indian Bibles. For example, one said: ”The joy of the Lord is my portion.” Another: ”The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Another: ”Beloved, now are we the sons of G.o.d, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see him as He is.”
Thus delightfully pa.s.sed away two hours. Perhaps fifty or sixty gave their testimonies, or quoted pa.s.sages of Scripture. The speaking was up to the average of a similar gathering among white people, as these examples we have given would indicate. They were faithfully translated by two of our best interpreters, and then compared. And yet many of the beautiful Indian images are lost in the translation into English.
The best of all has also to be left out. The Divine power, the holy emotions, the s.h.i.+ning faces, the atmosphere of heaven, cannot be put down on paper. Many of my readers know what I mean as thus I write, for they have been in those hallowed gatherings where ”they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.”
Then followed the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. To the Christian Indians this service is, as it ever should be, the most solemn and impressive in the Church. Our custom was to hold four Communion services during the year. In addition, we sometimes gave a dying devoted member this sacrament, if so desired. Here there were a few other very important occasions, when we celebrated in this way the dying of the Lord Jesus. As, for example, when several scores of our people were going off on a dangerous trip in a plague-infected district with but very poor prospects of all returning home again.
WILLIAM MEMOTAS.
William Memotas was converted from the darkness of paganism to the light of the Gospel soon after the introduction of the glad tidings of salvation among the Cree Indians by that most useful and G.o.dly man, the Reverend James Evans. William's conversion was so clear and positive that he never had any doubts about it. His progress in the Divine life was marked and intelligent, and soon he became a useful and acceptable worker in the Church. He was a Cla.s.s Leader and Local Preacher of great power and acceptability.
He was pre-eminently a happy Christian. His face seemed full of suns.h.i.+ne. There was a genial sweetness about him that caused his very presence to act as a charm. His coming into our Mission home was like the suns.h.i.+ne, in which even our little ones basked with great delight.
He was an every-day Christian. Although I was often in his company, and was thrown in contact with him on some occasions calculated to severely test him, yet I never heard from him an improper word, or heard of his having in any way gone contrary to his Christian profession during the thirty years that he had professed to be a follower of the Lord Jesus.
His greatest aim in life seemed to be to get to heaven; and next to that he strove to induce others to follow in the same course.
When some of the Indians were getting excited about their lands, and the treaties which were soon to be made with the Government, William, in writing to a friend, said: ”I care for none of these things; they will all come right. My only desire is to love Jesus more and more, so as to see Him by-and-by.”