274< LETTERS OF NATIVES 
tilings of Jesns Christ. Ah, Sir, vve are not yet jealous 
enough of the deceitfulness of our hearts, which are yet 
native and ignorant, and blind and deaf, and hard and 
covered over with sin; and the sinfulness of our hearts 
confuses all the words of everlasting life, which we hear 
with our ears, and read out of the Word of God. The 
thoughts of our native heart sometimes say, “ By and bye 
listen : do not listen to-day : to-morrow will do for you 
to be thoughtful about the soul — to-morrow, or by and 
bye.” How is it to be ? and how am I to be rid of this 
distracting native heart? Think you about it — and do 
you say. Sir, Mr. Y ate, listen to my speech. I am very 
well, as I am writing this book to you ; but before you 
return here again, perhaps I shall be returned to dust, 
perhaps I shall not ; for God has said, that every man 
who lives in this world must die ; but he has not said 
when. Sir, Mr. Yate, listen to me, and I will tell you 
all about those who have died since you left New Zea- 
land. Many who believe in Christ have died ; and it is 
well that his believing people should go to Him, and not 
sit here for ever. Rape Kohine’s younger sister was one : 
Tuwakawaha's daughter was another ; the elder brother 
of Mere Ilemara, Tangiwai; the wife of your boy Toa- 
taua, and Toa has been ciydng ever since she died; 
Kohine Rangi — her name was Mere, for she was bap- 
tized, and she partook of the sacrament of the Lord^s 
Supper ; and Mr. Henry Williams is come up from Paihia 
for the pui*pose ; Mr. Clarke sent a messenger for him — 
she died; and she died believing, and she is gone to 
heaven. Another also, as I am writing this book, is 
dying — Koihuru, the wife of your good boy Henare ; 
one at the \dllage of Ngai-te-wiu, a believing woman ; 
another, Pekapeka, the wife of Hako ; — all these are 
