Before John Paton set sail in 1848 for the New Hebrides islands his church
elders were outspokenly critical. One biography sketches the exchange he
had with a certain Mr. Dickson who toward the end gave a booming outburst: “The
Cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals!” It was not an
exaggerated fear. Less than nineteen years before John Williams and James
Harry had been killed and eaten on Erromanga –in the same chain of islands–
within minutes of coming ashore.
Here is John Paton's deep conviction and colorful answer:
“Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.”
Here is John Paton's deep conviction and colorful answer:
“Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.”
No comments:
Post a Comment