DEVOTEDNESS TO GOD.

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common thing to find the same individual who reproaches the doctrines of grace, as opening the floodgates of immorality, censuring, in the very same breath, the over-righteous zeal of those who believe them; and thus it appears, that the plausible pretence of zeal for the interests of morality, is made the cloak for concealing the enmity of the heart against doctrines, which alone strike at the bitter roots of pride and self-righteousness, and produce the fruits of genuine holiness.

The self-denying zeal of the Moravian Missionaries may prove profitable to the reader in another point of view also, namely, by exciting to an imitation of them, so far as they were imitators of Christ. Nor let it be thought that they were called to an extraordinary devotedness. As all believers are equally guilty before God, equally obnoxious to his wrath, and equally indebted to the blood of Christ for justification, and to the Spirit of Christ for sanctification,-as all are creatures and sinners. All in their several stations, are called to complete devotedness in the service of their Creator and Redeemer. We are "not our own, but we are bought with a price;" therefore we should " "glorify God in our bodies and our spirits, which are God's;" but the heart, stupified by remaining carnality, is slow to draw this most just inference. When such a pattern of devotedness as has been placed before the reader in these pages meets our view, it should be considered, that God, by whom the minutest event in our history is ordered, enforces in his providence that entire devotedness to his service, which he has already inculcated in his word. Nor can we, without sin, refuse to hear Him who says to us, in reference to every such example, "Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Christ Jesus the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,

&c. &c.

KAINAEK.

The Greenlander Kainaek-His awakening-Greenland nobility -Misery of the almost Christian-Kainaek seeks to extinguish his convictions-His cruelty to Kuanak-Kainaek, with a band of murderers, visits New Herrnhuth-His convictions revived -Another alarming visit-Kainaek visits the brethren-His convictions again revived-Is visited in Kangek-The world insufficient to satisfy the desires of the heart-Sufficiency of the Gospel-Kainaek solicits baptism-His journey to New Herrnhuth-His baptism-Exemplary regard to the Sabbath-Many Greenlanders drawn to the Missionaries by the report of Kainaek's conversion-His growth in grace-Wonderful change of character-Death-Conclusion.

THE Greenlander Kainaek, about whom we propose to give some account in the following pages, was one of those individuals who, in the year 1739, were directed to New Herrnhuth by Samuel Kajarnak (see page 103).

When the glad tidings of salvation, through the blood of Christ, was proclaimed to him, he was not an unconcerned hearer; but, notwithstanding the impression which the word of God had made upon his heart and conscience, the love of the world still remained predominant, and withheld him from yielding himself up to the happy service of the Saviour.

A Greenlander who can prove his descent from a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who were all renowned seal-catchers, is esteemed by his countrymen to be of a good family; Kainaek possessed this distinc

tion among his people, by whom he was looked up to as a prince; and, as the faithful following of Christ exposes a man to derision and ignominy in Greenland, as well as in other places, Kainaek had many hard struggles, before he was drawn by the Holy Spirit to resolve on relinquishing his fancied honour and reputation, and give himself to our Saviour. He was thus taught to enter into the deep meaning of our Lord's words, when he said, "How can ye believe who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only;" and was prepared to utter as the expression of his own experience, those numerous passages of sacred Scripture which magnify the long-suffering of the Lord, which bears with all the provocations of sinners, striving with them, and hedging up their way, until they are constrained to turn from the wide road of destruction into the path of peace. And it is thus that every real Christian is taught to value the word of God, as describing to him the experience of his own heart, thereby evidencing itself to be indeed the word of Him, who searches the hearts and tries the reins of the children of men—who knows all the thoughts which come into our minds, every one of them; and in recommending the sacred Scriptures to the notice of others, persons, who are thus taught, can address them with the same argument as that which the Samaritan woman used to call the attention of her countrymen to Christ; study this wonderful book, "which told me all things that ever I did."

It is a wretched state to have only enough of religion to make us miserable, and this was now the condition of Kainaek; his judgment was convinced that he should yield himself to Christ, but his unconverted heart still cleaving to the world, fought against his convictions. This is no uncommon case, and it proves how completely man is depraved in all the faculties of the soul, and that the conversion of a sinner is altogether the work of God, for when the understanding has been enlightened, there is still need of that new heart which the Lord has promised to his people; for the natural heart is enmity against God, and never can delight in his service, therefore, unless the affections be renewed in the same proportion as the understanding is enlight

ened, the soul will be distracted between its convictions on the one side, and its desires on the other, and will be placed in a situation similar to that of criminals, whose bodies were torn asunder by having their limbs tied to horses, which were driven furiously in different directions. The history of Christ's work of grace in Greenland, furnishes many illustrations of these observations. Thus a Greenlander, whose wife and children were already turned to the Lord, said, “ Pray do not tell me always so much about the Saviour, or else I shall become a believer too; and at present I have no mind, for I must go to the north once more to trade; and besides I am afraid my wife and children will give me no rest, and I am restless enough without it."

In this miserable state of mind Kainaek sought relief by such worldly diversions as the circumstances in which he was placed afforded, "one while," says Mr. Crantz, "he betook himself to the north, and another while to the south, but could never fly from a restless heart, let him fly where he would."

When persons are brought to this state of mind, whatever revives their convictions increases their uneasiness, and therefore such characters are commonly bitter persecutors of God's faithful people; we have a remarkable instance of this in the case of Ahab, as recorded in the sacred Scriptures; the miraculous consuming of the sacrifice on the prayer of Elijah, had fully convinced him that that holy man was the prophet of Jehovah, but still his unconverted heart refused submission to the words of the prophet, and therefore, when after his sin, in the case of Naboth's vineyard, he met the man of God, his language shewed that the natural enmity of his heart was peculiarly exasperated by his presence; “Hast thou found me, O mine enemy." A painful illustration of these observations will be seen in the next fact, recorded in the history of Kainaek, but before relating it we must introduce another character to our reader's notice.

Samuel Kajarnak, whose conversion to Christianity, and subsequent flight have been mentioned in the preceding history, returned to New Herrnhuth in the year 1740, bringing with him his nephew, a boy named Kuanak. Mr. Crantz writes of this individual: "Our

Saviour soon drew nigh to his heart, he was a real joy to us, and according to his measure of knowledge, a blessing to many heathen, especially the children. He was a boy of a bashful, but childlike mind, shewed a hearty love to our Saviour, and to those that believed, and was often seen alone at prayer. He was indeed,

obliged to go with his father to the islands for food, but seldom missed an opportunity of visiting his teachers, who found so much the greater desire in him after the word of life, the more he learned to discern the difference between believers and unbelievers.' 'I am often quite anxious,' said he, among the heathens, therefore I implore our Saviour to give me grace and strength, that I may never stray from him, for I can find rest no where, but when I cast myself at Jesus' feet, and lay my heart before him in the condition it is in."

The next year this interesting youth was obliged to go with his father to the north, at taking leave, the Missionaries fell upon their knees with him, and the poor boy, who had but two years before been a stupid heathen, without hope, and without God, prayed so movingly, that he and his teachers shed numberless tears together.

On this roving excursion, Kuanak's father was drowned; and Kainaek, who, it appears, made one of the party, took Kuanak into his service. The reader has been already informed of the Christian attainments of this youth, and, in the subsequent part of this history, we shall see reason to conclude, that, not only by his consistent conduct, but also by his reproofs and exhortations, he assisted to revive those disquieting convictions, which the quick and powerful word of God had before awakened in the breast of Kainaek. Not long, however, after the death of his father, poor Kuanak was seized with a burning fever, and being delirious, he wounded Kainaek's wife with a knife, this afforded Kainaek some excuse for venting his malice upon him, and he beat him so unmercifully, that he crippled him, and, in this state he was carried back to the Missionaries, who were glad to receive him alive, by the kind care of the brethren, he was so far restored, as to be able to row in his kayak. But, although his body was maimed by the cruelty of man, his soul was safe