The Miracle Of The Hurricane

Incident in J. G. Paton’s Hazardous Life

THOSE who criticise —sometimes with justice—the activities of missionaries in the Pacific Islands are apt to forget the extraordinary sufferings which some of those men underwent in the early days for the cause of their Church and their God.

The Foreign Mission literature of the period from 1830 to 1890 teems with ex amples of sacrifice and heroism. Here, for example, is just one incident taken ver batim out of the memoirs of the Rev. John G. Paton, who spent the greater part of his life among the New Hebrides savages and who eventually was numbered among the martyrs. On this occasion Mr. Paton had been driven away from his mission on Tanna Island by the natives and he had taken refuge with two other mission aries—a Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson. The natives were on the warpath and search ing for Mr. Paton.

“During the day, on 3rd February, 1862, a company of Miaki’s men came to the Mission House, and forced Mrs. Mathie son to show them through the premises.

Providentially, I had bolted myself that morning into a closet room, and was en grossed in writing. They went through every room in the house and did not see me, concluding I had gone inland. They discharged a musket into our teacher’s house, but afterwards left quietly, greatly disappointed at not finding me. My heart still rose in praise of God for another such deliverance, neither by man nor of man’s planning!

“Worn out with long watching and many fatigues, I lay down that night early, and fell into a deep sleep. About ten o’clock the savages again surrounded the Mission House. My fathful dog Clutha, clinging still to me amid the wreck of all else on earth, sprang quietly upon me, pulled at my clothes, and awoke me showing danger in her eye glancing at me through the shadows.

“I silently awoke Mr. and Mrs. Mathie son, who had also fallen asleep. We com mitted ourselves in hushed prayer to God and watched them, knowing that they could not see us.

“Immediately a glare of light fell into the room! Men passed with flaming torches; and then they set fire to the Church all round, and then to a reed fence connecting the Church and the dwelling-house. In a few minutes the

house, too, would be in flames, and armed savages waiting to kill us on attempting an escape!

“Taking my harmless revolver in the left hand and a little American tomahawk in the right, I pled with Mr. Mathieson to let me out and instantly again to lock the door on himself and wife. He very reluctantly did so, holding me back and saying, ‘Stop here and let us die to gether! You will never return!’

“I said: ‘Be quick! Leave that to God.

In a few minutes our house will be in flames, and then nothing can save us.’

“He did let me out, and locked the door again quickly from the inside; and, while his wife and he prayed and watched for me from within, I ran to the burning reed fence, cut it from top to bottom, and tore it up and threw it back into the flames, so that the fire could not by it be carried to our dwelling-house.

“I saw on the ground shadows, as if something were falling around me, and started back. Seven or eight savages had surrounded me, and raised their great clubs in the air. I heard a shout —‘Kill him! kill him!’

“One savage tried to seize hold of me,, but, leaping from his clutch, I drew the revolver from my pocket and levelled it as for use, my heart going up in prayer to my God.

“I said: ‘Dare to strike me, and my Jehovah God will punish you. He protects us, and will punish you for burning His church, for hatred to His worship and people, and for all your bad conduct. We love you all; and for doing you good only you want to kill us. But our God is here now to protect us and punish you.’

“They yelled in rage, and urged each other to strike the first blow, but the In visible One restrained them. I stood in vulnerable beneath His invisible shield, and succeeded in rolling back the tide of flame from our dwelling-house.

“At this dread moment occurred an in cident, which my readers may explain as they like, but which I trace directly to the interposition of my God.

“A rushing and roaring sound came from the south, like the noise of a mighty engine, or of muttering thunder. Every head was instinctively turned in that di rection, and they knew, from previous hard experience, that it was one of their awful tornadoes of wind and rain.

“Now, mark, the wind bore the flames away from our dwelling-house; had it come in the opposite direction, no power on earth could have saved us from being all consumed ! It made the work of de stroying the Church only that of a few minutes; but it brought with it a heavy and murky cloud, which poured out a perfect torrent of tropical rain. Now, mark again, the flames of the burning Church were thereby cut off from extend ing to and seizing upon the reeds and the bush; and, besides, it had become almost impossible now to set fire to our dwelling house. The stars in their courses were fighting against Sisera!

“The mighty roar of the wind, the black cloud pouring down unceasing torrents, and the whole surroundings, awed those savages into silence. Some began to with draw from the scene, all lowered their weapons of war, and several, terror-stric ken, exclaimed: ‘That is Jehovah’s rain!

Truly, their Jehovah God is fighting for them and helping them. Let us away!’

“A panic seized upon them; they threw away their remaining torches; in a few moments they had all disappeared in the bush: and I was left alone, praising God for His marvellous works.”