everlasting work, to cease no more for ever; but to go on, if not hindered and let, in a continuity which shall expand into results that surpass any definition. This power worketh onward and onward to infinity. On its glorious way it utterly annihilates the sin of the nature : a blessing this, that is above what most Christians ask, and in some respects above what they can think. A state in which no sympathy, even the faintest, is felt with sin, and self is lost in God, and concupiscence, natural to man in the world of sense, ceases to be "evil concupiscence," is by most Christians utterly inconceivable it is more than they can "think." But our prayer was indited by one who knew that beforehand, knowing "what is in man." It ought to accustom us to dare both in hope and petition what to men is impossible, but not to God, for "with God all things are possible," and not to faith; for "if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

:

BISHOP PATTESON.

FIFTH PAPER.

SEVERAL features of Bishop Patteson's character deserve special notice:

1. His godly earnestness.-To be and to do right was his aim through life. Lapses in boyhood occasioned deep contrition; shortcomings in after life, poignant regret. Steady purpose prevented useless lamentations. He forgot the things that were behind, except as they furnished cautions and lessons for future guidance, and pressed forward to duty.

2. Perfect unselfishness.—Few men ever more completely realised every line of the beautiful hymn, "Give me the faith which can remove," etc. The same mind was in him that was in Christ Jesus. It was his meat and his drink to do the will of his Father in heaven. His own comfort or safety never entered into his calculations. But he was never reckless of health and life.

3. Self-denial.-It is rarely that a missionary has the opportunity of giving up so much for his Master. His home attachments were unusually strong. Time and distance, and full employment, seemed rather to increase than lessen them. There was everything in that home to endear it to him; but it was given up for life for Christ's sake and the Gospel's. The interest he took to the last in social, religious, and the most important political movements, showed a keen relish for the intellectual and religious activities of civilized life; but he was happy in the midst of Melanesians. He had a taste for the arts far above most men; but he made himself at home among the most barbarous races.

With the Apostle of the Gentiles he could say, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." How thankfully he enjoyed the poorest fare for months together!-such fare as, if served

out to criminals in England, would call forth public indignation. Part of a yam, with the water of four cocoa-nuts, sustains him on a long journey over jagged coral, with shoeless and bleeding feet, in the exhausting heat of a small tropical island. But never a word of complaint, or sacrifice, or desire for anything better. Under trials severer than Romanist penance or the self-inflicted austerities of heathen ascetics, there was an utter absence of gloomy resignation and pride of merit. A higher object shut out all thought of mere physical privations. He habitually lived in a sphere too really lofty to be affected by merely earthly things.

A few extracts will show his cheerful spirit under labour and trial:

"I am so accustomed to sleeping about anywhere, that I take little or no account of thirty, forty, fifty naked fellows lying, sitting, sleeping round me. Some one brings me a native mat, some one else a bit of yam; a third brings a cocoa-nut. So I get my supper, put down the mat (like a very thin door-mat) on the earth, roll up my coat for a pillow, and make a very good night of it." (Vol. i., p. 529.)

"It would be the work of days to tell you of all our adventures. How at Malanta I picked two lads out of a party of thirty-six in a grand warcanoe going on a fighting expedition; and very good fellows they are; how we filled up our water-casks at Aurora, standing up to our necks in the clear cool stream rushing down from a cataract above, with the natives assisting us in the most friendly manner; how at Santa Maria, which, till this year, we never visited without being shot at, I walked for four or five hours far inland wherever I pleased, meeting great crowds of men, all armed and suspicious of each other,—indeed, actually fighting with each other, but all friendly to me; how at Espiritu Santo, when I had just thrown off my coat and tightened my belt to swim ashore through something of a surf, a canoe was launched, and without more ado a nice lad got into our boat and came away with us, without giving me the trouble of taking a swim at all; how at Florida Island, never before reached by us, one out of some eighty men, young and old, standing all round me on the reef, to my astonishment, returned with me to the boat, and, without any opposition from the people, quietly seated himself by my side, and came away to the schooner; how at Pentecost Island, Tarionara (a lad whom the Primate in old days had picked up in his canoe paddling against a strong head-wind, and kept him on board all night, and sent him home with presents in the morning) now came away with me, but not without his bow and poisoned arrows, of which I have taken safe possession; how Misial felt sea-sick and homesick for a day or two, but upon being specially patronized by the cook, soon declared that no place could compare with the galley of a mission vessel, to the truth of which declaration the necessity of enlarging his scanty garments soon bore satisfactory testimony." (Vol. ii., p. 10.) A cheerful, free letter to his sisters on his work :

“KOHIMARAMA, Saturday, 1 P.M., February 7th, 1863. "MY DEAREST SISTERS,-I have a heavy cold, so you must expect a stupid letter. I am off in an hour or two for a forty-mile ride, to take to-morrow's services (four) among soldiers and settlers. The worst of it is

that I have no chance of sleep at the end; for the mosquitos near the river are intolerable. How jolly it would be, nevertheless, if you were here, and strong enough to make a sort of picnic ride of it! I do it this way: strap in front of the saddle a waterproof sheet, with my silk gown, Prayer-Book, brush and comb, razor and soap, a clean tie, and a couple of sea-biscuits. Then about three P.M. off I go. About twenty miles or so bring me to Papakura, an ugly but good road most of the way. Here there is an inn. I stop for an hour and a half, give the horse a good feed, and have my tea. At about 7.30 or 8, I start again, and ride slowly along a good road this dry weather. The moon rises at 9.30, and by that time I shall be reaching the forest, through which a good military road runs. This is the part of the road I should like to show you. Such a night as this promises to be! It will be beautiful. About eleven I reach a hut made of reeds on the very brink of the river, tether the horse, give him a feed which I carry with me from Papakura, light a fire (taking matches) inside the hut, and try to smoke away mosquitos, lie down in your plaid, Joan,-do you remember giving it to me ?-and get what sleep I can. To-morrow I work my way home again, the fourth service being at Papakura at four P.M., so I ought to be at Kohimarama by nine P.M., dead tired, I expect. I think these long days tire me more than they did; and I really do see not a few white hairs, a dozen or so; this is quite right and respectable.

"I am writing now because I am tired with this cold; but chiefly because, when I write only for the mail, I send you such wretched scrawls, just business letters, or growls about something or other which I magnify into a grievance. But really, dear Joan and Fan, I do like much writing to you; only it is so very seldom I can do so, without leaving undone some regular part of the day's work.......Don't mind my grumbling. I think that it is very ungrateful of me to do so, when, this year especially, I am receiving such blessings; it is partly because I am very much occupied, working at high pressure; partly because I do not check my foolish notions, and let matters worry me. I don't justify it a bit; nor must you suppose, that because I am very busy just now, I am really the worse for it. The change to sea life will set me all to rights again; and I feel that much work must be done in a little time; and a wise man would take much more pains than I do to keep himself in a fit state to do it.

"I have told you about our manner of life here. Up at five, when I go round and pull the blankets, not without many a joke, off the sleeping boys; many of the party are already up and washing. Then, just before prayers, I go into the kitchen and see that all is ready for breakfast. Prayers at 5.45 in English, Mota, Bauro, etc., beginning with a Mota hymn, and ending with the Lord's Prayer in English. Breakfast immediately after; at our table Mr. Pritt, Mr. Kerr, and young Atkin, who has just joined us. At the teachers' table, five Norfolk Islanders, Edward, (a Maori,) five girls, and two of their husbands, these two being Sarawia and B- -, and the three girls being placed at this table because they are girls; Melanesians at the other three tables indiscriminately." (Vol. ii., p. 36.)

"At daylight I turn off my table and dress, not elaborately,—a flannel shirt, old trousers, and shoes; then a yam or two is roasted on the em

bers, and the coffee made, and (fancy the luxury here in Mota!) delicious goats' milk with it. Then the morning passes in reading, writing, and somewhat desultory talking with people; but you can't expect punctuality and great attention. Then, at one, a bit of biscuit and cheese (as long as the latter lasts). Mr. Palmer made some bread yesterday. Then generally a walk to meet people at different villages, and talk to them, trying to get them to ask me questions, and I try to question them. Then, at six P.M., a tea-ation, viz., yam and coffee, and perhaps a crab or two, or a bit of bacon, or some good thing or other. But I forgot! this morning we ate a bit of our first full-grown and fully ripe Mota pineapple, (I brought some two years ago,) as large and fine as any specimens I remember in hot-houses. If you mention all these luxuries, we shall have no more subscriptions; but you may add, that there is as yet no other pine-apple, though our oranges, lemons, citrons, guavas, etc., are coming on. Any one living here permanently might make a beautiful place indeed; but it becomes sadly overgrown in our absence, and many things we plant are destroyed by pigs, etc.

"Then after tea-a large party always witnessing that ceremony-there is an hour or so spent in speaking again to the people, and then I read a little with Wadrokala and Carry. Then Mr. Palmer and I read a chapter of Vaughan on the Revelation, then prayers, and so to bed...... It requires a considerable effort to continually try to present to oneself the state of the heathen mind, to select illustrations, etc., suitable to his case. And then his language has never been used by him to set forth these new ideas; there are no words which convey the ideas of repentance, sin, heartfelt confession, faith, etc. How can there be when these ideas don't exist? Yet somehow the language by degrees is made the exponent of such ideas, just as all religious ideas are expressed in English by words now used in their second intention, which once meant very different and less elevated ideas. I find everywhere the greatest willingness to listen." (Vol. ii., p. 142.)

In 1866, the Bishop remained alone in a native hut for ten days. "Seven P.M.: The vessel went off at 10.30 A.M. I felt for a little while rather forlorn, and a little sinking at the heart. You see I confess it all: how silly! Can't I, after so many years, bear to be left, in one sense, alone? I read a little of you know what Book, and then found the feeling pass entirely away.

"But more than that, the extreme friendliness of the people, the real kindness, was pleasant to me. One man brought his child: The child of us two, Bishop.' Another man: 'These cocoa-nut trees are the property of us two, remember.' A third: 'When you want yams don't buy them, tell me.'" He diligently instructed them in the principal truths and facts of revelation.

"My arrangements are somewhat simple, but I am very comfortable. Delicious bathes I have in the stream (close to the hut). Yams and fish are no bad fare; and I have some biscuits and essence of coffee, and a few books, and am perfectly well. The mode of life has become almost natural to me. I am on capital terms with the people, and even the babies are no longer afraid of me. Old and young, men and women, boys and girls about me, of course, all day; and small presents of yams,

fish, bananas, almonds, show the friendliness of the people when properly treated. But the bunches of skulls remain slung up in the large canoe houses, and they can be wild enough when excited." (Vol. ii., pp. 201-205.)

A long and valuable letter to Professor Max Müller (Vol. ii., pp. 183194) details his work, and shows how diligently he employed his time, the deep interest he took in all that could help him in his mission, and the thoughtful consideration he bestowed upon important public questions, especially those that affect religion. As far as possible he lived by strict rule, and thereby economised every hour. Notwithstanding its length we give the letter entire:

"SOUTHERN Cross,' off NORFOLK ISLAND,

"June 6th, 1866.

"MY DEAR FRIEND,-I am about to tire your patience heavily; for I must find you some reasons for doing so little in making known these Melanesian dialects, and that will be wearisome to you to read; and, secondly, I cannot put clearly and consecutively what I want to say. I have so very little time for thinking out and working at any one subject continuously, that my whole habit of mind becomes, I fear, inaccurate and desultory. I have so very many and so very different occupations, and so much anxiety and so many interruptions, as the 'friction' that attends the working of a new and somewhat untried machine.

"You know that we are few in number; indeed (Codrington being absent) I have but two clergymen with me, and two young men who may be ordained by-and-by. Besides, had I the twenty troublesome men whom you wish to banish into these regions, what use would they or any men be until they had learnt their work? And it must fall to me to teach them, and that takes again much of my time; so that, as a matter of fact, there are many things that I must do, even when all is going on smoothly; and, should sickness come, then of course my days and nights are spent in nursing poor lads to whom no one else can talk, cheering up poor fellows seized with sudden nervous terror, giving food to those who will take it from no one else, etc.

"Then the whole management of the Mission must fall upon me; though I am most thankful to say, that for some time Mr. Pritt has relieved me from the charge of all domestic and industrial works. He does everything of that kind, and does it admirably, so that our institution really is a well-ordered industrial school, in which kitchen work, dairy work, farm work, printing, clothes making and mending, etc., are all carried on without the necessity of having any foreign importation of servants, who would be sure to do harm, both by their ideas as to perquisites, (stealing, in the minds of our Melanesians,) and by introducing the idea of paid labour; whereas now we all work together, and no one counts any work degrading, and still less does any one qua white consider himself entitled to fag a Melanesian.

"Mr. Tilly, R.N., has also quite relieved me from my duties as skipper, and I have no trouble about marine stores, shipping seamen, navigating the vessel, now. I cannot be too thankful for this; it saves me time, anxiety, and worry; yet much remains that I must do, which is not connected with peculiar work directly.