Page:Life and journals of Kah-ke-wa-quo-na-by.djvu/11

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PREFACE.

Death-bed sayings and gifts are remembered and prized beyond the ordinary occurrences which constitute a portion of human history: there are few who will peruse the simply-beautiful narrative depicting the closing hours of Kahkewaquonary's devoted, exemplary, and useful life, without a moistened eye, and the inwardly-expressed utterance, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!” while the pious and careful reader of the following pages will gratefully acknowledge the wisdom of the measure which directed the publication of Peter Jones' Journal, bequeathed to the Wesleyan Missionary Committee a short time before he finished his work, and “entered into the joy of his Lord.”

In this volume will be found a history of the commencement and progress of that remarkable change which has passed upon thousands of the Indians in Canada, presented in the language of one of their own race, whose conversion, labours, successes, gifts, purity of mind, and elevation of character, place him in company with the illustrious men of modern times distinguished for their Missionary zeal; and furnish another illustration of that grace of our Redeeming Lord which could bring from obscurity the commanding and massive mind of John Hunt among the Wesleyans; of Carey among the Baptists; of Williams among the Presbyterians; and sanctify the