(one of many instances that were continually occurring during his time on the islands just off austrailia where God had called him is here related by patton)..one morning at daybreak i found my house surrounded by armed men and a chief intimated that they had assembled to take my life. seeing that i was entirely in their hands, i knelt down and gave myself away body and soul to the Lord Jesus, for what seemed the last time on earth. rising, i went out to them and began calmly talking about their unkind treatment of me and contrasting it with all my conduct towards them. i also plainly showed them what would be the sad consequences, if they carried out their cruel purpose. at last some of the chiefs, who had attended the worship, rose and said 'our conduct has been bad; but now we will fight for you, and kill all those who hate you'.
grasping hold of their leader, i held him fast till he promised never to kill any one on my account, for Jesus taught us to love our enemies and always to return good for evil! during this scene, many of the armed men slunk away into the bush, and those who remained entered into a bond to be friendly and to protect us. but again their public assembly resolved that we should be killed, because, as they said, they hated Jehovah and the worship; for it made them afraid to do as they had always done. if i would give up visiting the villages, and praying and talking with them about Jehovah, they intimated that they would like me to stay and trade with them, as they liked the traders but hated the missionaries. i told them that the hope of being able to teach them the worship of Jehovah alone kept me living amongst them; that i was there, not for gain or pleasure, but because i loved them, and pitied their estate, and sought their good continually by leading them to know and serve the only true God.
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