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I could? What part would I take away
from it? Would I take away the ever-
lasting love of the Father? [which, as
I suppose he meant, chose from eternity
the objects to be eternally benefitted by
the work of redemption.] Would I take
from it the divinity of Christ? Would I
take from it his atonement? Would I
take from it that law which he obeyed
unto death? I see no part to alter. All
his ways and all his works are perfect.
The plan of redemption is just such a
one as pleases me. It is just such a one
as my case requires; and of course, just Just on the verge of heaven."

his Redeemer's strength. As he had
met and baffled the great and subtle
tempter, who, a few months before,
sought to rob him of his hope and peace,
and induce him to speak reproachfully of
God, and whom he put to flight by laying
hold on the cross; so now, we trust, his
more matured faith triumphed over death
and sin, and enabled him, on Canaan's
shore, to shout the victory in Jesus'
name.

such a one as is needed for all that are to be saved." I replied, We should be

"The chamber where the good man meets his fate
Is privileged beyond the common walks of virtuous
life-

LETTERS OF THE MISSIONARIES.

poorly set to work to alter the plan of BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM JOURNALS AND redemption, if we could do it. He added, "How selfish the heart that could wish it altered; and not only selfish, but

how rebellious."

On the first Sabbath in June, at his particular request, the sacrament of the Lord's supper was administered to him on his couch, the last of those seasons to him, now as it were, ready to sit down with his Lord above. He was enabled, however, after this to rise, and attend repeatedly the meetings of the brethren during two or three weeks.

The first week in July his disorder began its final triumph, though the paroxysms did not appear materially different from several which he had before endured. Having occasion to visit and preach to the king, chiefs, and people at a distance, I went on the 5th of July to spend the Sabbath a few miles from the station, without thinking our brother so near his end; and thus was deprived of the privilege of seeing how peacefully he died. On the evening of the 5th he appeared more ill, and the brethren and sisters around apprehended he would not endure through the night, and requested him to state his feelings in few words. He said, "If I go to-night, it is well;-if I go tomorrow, it is well;-next week, it is well;-or next year, it is well;-for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Of this gratifying nature were his remarks while able to speak distinctly, until his dying pains excluded him from intercourse with his family and his brethren and sisters, who assembled around his bed. They who had felt themselves edified by his life and conversation, now sang hymns and offered prayers, while he was, with difficult breathing and much bodily pain, wading through the swellings of Jordan.

At three o'clock Sabbath morning, the 6th of July, the struggle was over, and we trust the victory complete through

THE journal of Mr. Spaulding, whose station is at Oukumehame, on the island of Maui, contains the following remarks respecting the

Natives Religious Teaching-Notions of Christian Character.

January 27, 1834. Was unwell yesterday and unable to preach in the morning. The service was conducted by the head man of Oukumehame, a member of the church. He chose for his text John xiii, 17, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." As the congregation assembled under a ranai (shed) attached to our house I was able to hear the speaker, and should judge that the services were conducted with as much regularity and spirit, as if a missionary had preached. They have no lack of words or confidence, and the larger the congregation the greater the privilege. There are probably but few members in the church that would not speak or preach on any occasion, if requested. This remark will apply, to some extent, out of the church as well as in it. In conversation they often acknowledge themselves naaupo, or dark-hearted, but they seem not to distrust their abilities when they have a prospect of promotion, which plainly shows their deplorable ig

norance.

The speaker yesterday made many just and appropriate remarks, and undoubtedly communicated some instruction to the ignorant; but as in all native teaching, there was great lack of depth and heart-searching.

He commenced by saying that these were the words of Jesus to his disciples; that the things of which he spoke referred to all the commands revealed in the word of God. He proceeded to tell what

11. Arose this morning and found our cook-house prostrate. It was blown down last night by the high wind. There were two families in the house, and as it began to fall, they gathered up their mats and calabashes, comprising all their furniture, and escaped. We were awake much of the night watching our own frail habitation, ready to vacate it if necessary.

the commands of God were, repeating || injured. There were a number of permost of the decalogue, and at the close sons in the house, but they had sufficient of his remarks on each command, he warning to escape. This is generally would appropriately add, "If ye know the case with native houses, for they are these things, happy are ye if ye do them." so thoroughly tied together with strings, He dwelt much on keeping the Sabbath that they often shake a long time before and other commands in the decalogue, they fall. and insisted upon external obedience, without showing the state of the heart necessary to keep these commandments acceptably with God. Many natives are very conscientious in regard to external obedience, while they seem to feel no concern about the state of their hearts towards God. If they keep all the commands of God, as did the young man in the gospel, like him, they are ready to ask, "What lack I yet?" and it is one of the most difficult things in missionary work to show them that they lack every thing, and are ready to perish. If we tell them to pray, repent, believe, love God, forsake sin, etc., they will reply we have done all these things, and are doing them daily; and yet there is no evidence that there is the least change, except in their external conduct. That a man prays in his family is no sign that he is a Christian, for there are few families where morning and evening prayers are neglected. They have forsaken their idols for the true God, but unless they are renewed by the Holy Ghost, they will not be found his children in the last day.

To belong to the church, seems to be regarded by some as the height of perfection upon earth; and it would be the easiest thing imaginable to add as many to it here in one day, as the apostles did on the day of pentecost. But then, we should have no better evidence that they were the disciples of Christ than we now have. Many seek to enter the church, and probably know not why they are kept out.

The additional paragraphs will enable the reader to form some correct idea of the frailty of the native houses, made of poles and thatch, and of the life of exposure which the missionaries must lead at new stations, and before they can erect more substantial buildings.

Decease and Character of a Head-
Man.

Mr. Green, whose station is at Wailuku, on Maui, makes the following entry in his jour nal.

Sabbath evening, November 16, 1834, near the going down of the sun, Auwae, the head-man of Wailuku, died. His family and servants are greatly afflicted, and the people generally, as is common on such occasions, give vent to their feelings by loud and extravagant wailings. I will fill this sheet in giving you some account of this man, as he was, in some respects an extraordinary character, and merits, at least, a brief notice.

Auwae was born on Hawaii, probably not far from the year 1770. By birth he was a chief of low rank. His father was attached to the interests of Tamehameha, was one of his principal genealogists, and in various ways rendered him signal service. Auwae was instructed in the profession of his father, and on his death succeeded as one of the king's genealogists, and became one of the principal men of his profession on the islands. The elder brothers of Auwae, on the conquest of the islands by Tamehameha, were put in possession of considerable land, and one of them, a few years before the death of the king, committed some part of Molokai, Wailuku, and other lands on Maui to the care of Au

wae.

The king confirmed him in these Feb. 10. The wind this evening is possessions, on the death of his brother. exceedingly high. It comes in tremen- Rihoriho, having had proof of Auwae's dous gusts from the mountains, and skill in the management of his land, on makes the native houses here shake like the death of his father, continued to him reeds. Within a half hour the house of the care of Wailuku, of which he had Pikeuele has been crushed by the wind. the undisturbed possession till his death. The posts and rafters on one side were Auwae was a man of great dignity of broken, while the other side remains un-character. His intercourse with Tame

hameha and other chiefs of like charac- || multitude from 1 Peter iv, 7. O', that

ter was of great benefit. Like them, Auwae was a wise man, capable of holding the reins of government. Had the successors of Tamehameha gathered such men around them, and listened to their counsels, their kingdom might have been established. Auwae and his wife made a profession of religion in the year 1828. He had always been friendly to the mission from its establishment, and acted the part of a friend in seasons of difficulty. But he was unaffected with religious considerations till a year or two before he united with the church. His overt acts of sin, which were not few, he abandoned; and till the time of his death, I know of no particular act by which he may be said to have affixed a stain to his christian character. The king, within the last eighteen months, sent for him twice to counsel with him at Oahu. He went down with great reluctance, and while there maintained a christian character; and in his intercourse with the king, conducted, I believe, with his accustomed discretion. In this I greatly rejoice, yet I must say the evidences of his piety were rather of a negative character. He had not learned to read with any facility, and he seldom said any thing by which we might learn what were the feelings of his heart. In the time of his sickness he was not able to converse much. He did express to his wife, his convictions that he should not survive this sickness, also a doubt of his acceptance with his Lord. To this latter I attach some value, as it is exceedingly uncommon for a native to express the least doubt of his good estate, however deformed may have been his life. Alas! of the multitude at Hawaii, how applicable the words of Watts,

men would learn the frailty of life, and seize the present fleeting moment to prepare for their account. But, alas, the dormant mind of my people, when will it awake?

On his death bed Auwae desired that a nephew of his, Kawailepolepo by name, should come into possession of this place. This, however, depended, as Auwae well knew, upon the will of the king. Kawailepolepo was, in accordance with the advice of David Malo and others, dispatched to Honolulu, before Auwae was in his grave, to inform the king of his death, and after informing him of Auwae's dying request, to wait his decision. We all prayed that God would incline the heart of the king to give the land to Kawailepolepo, as he is a very superior man-one of the first scholars in the high school, and a man of very consistent piety. To our surprise and joy, he returned last week, as the head-man of the place. I hope much from him, and I have great confidence that unless the king should dispossess him, I shall find a real helper in school and in other ways. He is very anxious to improve, to civilize and christianize the people, and he is about to encourage the cultivation of cotton, and he very much wants some one to teach the people to manufacture cloth.

In a letter dated November 25th, 1834, Mr. Armstrong gives a

Description of his Station and the Char

acter of the Surrounding People.

At the close of the general meeting I came to Maui, and in company with Mr. Green made a tour around the eastern peninsula of this island, with a view to select a spot for my station. After spending a week in exploring the differ

"Like brutes they live, like brutes they die!" I do hope, tremblingly hope, that it will appear in the great day, that our dear friend, who has in some sense be-ent destitute places, looking at the situa come a father to us at this station, had been washed in atoning blood, and at death united with many others, who, we trust, have been carried from these islands to the bosom of everlasting love. In the hope of a joyful resurrection to life eternal, we are about to commit to dust all that remains of our friend, Noa Auwae. We are bereaved. May God, our guide, our father, sanctify to us this affliction, and make us more faithful to our surviving people, who are so rapidly Following each other to the eternal world. 19. I have just returned from the eral of Auwae. I addressed a vast

tion of the people, and consulting the brethren on this island, Haiku, in Hamnakuakoa, was fixed upon, not because in itself considered, it is the most eligible, but because other places, preferable in themselves, were thought to be too remote and difficult of access to be occupied by a single missionary. We came to this station in September, and were kindly received by the people, especially by two members of the Lahaina church, who have not failed thus far to supply our temporal wants pretty well. They had built us a native house, and a small house for cooking, but we have suffered

here within the past year, and a great many commenced drinking rum and engaged in their former sports, but the governor has suppressed these evils for the present, at least, though nothing but the civil arm keeps them down. The use of tobacco is now prohibited by law on this island. There are ten churchmembers within the bounds of my parish, of whom eight appear well, though their character as Christians is entirely nega

Decease and Character of a Female
Convert.

Under date of December 2d, 1834, Mr. Lyman writes

considerably from the inclemency of the || for books. Idols have been worshipped weather, our house being very leaky. Our station being on the windward side of the island, is cool and rather pleasant, though exposed to a strong and almost invariable trade wind. We have frequent and heavy rains, which render every thing in nature around us green and flourishing-a matter of some consequence in these islands. In the winter, or rainy season, woolen clothing is most comfortable. Our house stands on an extensive open plain, of considerable||tive; the other two are very inconsistent, elevation, and about two miles from the and cause me much solicitude. sea-shore, affording some prospects by no means void of beauty and grandeur. On the north we look down upon the great Pacific, occasionally agitated into fury by the reckless winds, and rolling a tremendous surf, with the noise of thunder, on a bold and rocky shore. On the east we look over an uneven and verdant plain, richly variegated with clusters of the hibiscus and pandanus, and a fine stream of water meandering through the midst of it from the mountain to the sea; and here and there a cluster of grass houses, presenting rather the appearance of dreary solitude and squalid poverty, than of industry and comfort. On the south we have a delightful prospect of mountain scenery, extending to the very top of the high mountain called by the natives Hale a Kala, the house of the sun. The dense silvery groves of the candle-tree, the towering yet delicate koa, not unlike the wild locust of the Susquehannah in appearance, present a most lovely picture, especially when viewed in the light of the evening sun. To the west we have a distinct view of the Wailuku station, though it is fourteen or fifteen miles distant. The isthmus between presents rather a barren and dreary appearance, but a neat dwelling-house, together with the out buildings and public buildings, consisting of the church, school-house, etc., viewed in connection with the romantic scenery beyond, appear well. With the exception of one deep ravine, there is a good carriage road from this station to that.

In regard to the people of this region I can say little that is encouraging. A few profess to be seeking the way of life and walk circumspectly, but the great body of them "drink in iniquity like water," and manifest no concern for their souls. We have daily evidence of their deceitfulness, lying, treachery, backbiting, unconquerable indolence, etc. The schools taught by natives are almost entirely extinct, and there is little demand

VOL. XXXI.

Since the date of my last the Lord has taken, as we trust, one of the female members of this church to himself. Her native name was Anapu. She was probably not less than sixty years of age. She was admitted to the church in the beginning of the year 1832, and received the name of Elina. She has uniformly maintained a christian character. I never conversed with her when she did not seem to realize that religion should be the one great business of her life. Nor was this the expression of the lips merely. I have often felt reproved by seeing her devotedness to the Savior, as evinced in her daily walk. In conversing with her, I have been no less surprised, than delighted, with the evidence that she had been taught by the Holy Spirit. She was poor, and had nothing to bring her into notice, except attachment to the Savior, and perhaps more strength of mind than is usual among this people for persons of her age.

She had been in a decline for some months. The morning of her death, she conversed with her busband and daughter, exhorting them to go to the Savior, and beseeching them, by their love to her, to follow her as she had followed Christ. At the close of the conversation she asked for food. It being brought she eat a few mouthfuls, reclining upon her elbow. The food was removed, and she lay upon her pillow. Her daughter sat down to eat in another part of the room. After a few minutes she rose and went to her mother. At first she supposed her to be asleep, but on examination found that the spirit had departed. Would that all our church-members were in character like Elina.

59

The fact that less has been done of late by the rulers at the Sandwich Islands, to promote Christianity there, and that some laws formerly enacted against immorality and disorder have been repealed, or are less vigorously enforced, has often been alluded to in this work. Mr. Emerson, remarking on the influence which this state of things seems to be exerting now on the progress of truth and piety, and seems likely to exert in future, proceeds to say

So far from regarding the late anarchy in this government as an alarming or discouraging symptom, I have, from the first, regarded it as an event, which I did believe, and do still, will, in the hands of God, tend more to open the eyes of this people and this mission, and prepare the way for the gospel to become a two

edged sword in our hands, than all the kind laws and kind offices in the power of the rulers of the land to make or to bestow. From the notes of my brethren I believe there has not been a period for several years, if there has ever been since the commencement of the mission, when vital godliness has been taking root so deep and firm among the people, as during these last twelve or eighteen months; and this too in the midst of apparent adversity. This season of confusion has furnished something like a mirror, through which the natives can be more easily made to see their own character as sinners, than before. "Whom the Lord loveth, he rebukes and chastens." Had not this rebuke been sent upon us, I fear the eyes of some would not soon have been opened to see the rottenness of some who profess to love the Savior.

Proceedings of other Societies.

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Great Change effected among the Natives

through Missionary Labors.

In the immediate and direct object of the mission, much more work offers itself than the missionaries are able to perform. Scarcely a day passes without their preaching; and many persons who live at distant places earnestly request visits from them, if it were only for a few days; offering to make roads on purpose for them, and to afford them every possible facility. It was not always so: but a short time before, the very same people would have thrown every difficulty in the way of missionaries who wished to visit them. They tabooed, or made sacred, the roads, that the missionaries might not traverse them; and declared the rivers sacred, to prevent them from crossing them.

The natives, in general, are now not only anxious to receive instruction of a religious kind, but they wish the missionaries to make laws for them. They consult them as casuists: they seek counsel of them as to matters of peace and war; and there are few occasions on which they do not refer to them. In such matters, I and the brethren at Waimate were almost daily employed.

The natives are also adopting all the customs of the Europeans. They wish for the introduction of the various rites and ceremonies of the English church, as to marriage and other things. Their various superstitions are gradually, or, I should rather say, rapidly dy ing away. When I tell the audience that three hundred New Zealanders have embraced the gospel, and are aiming to live in consistency with its sacred requirements, I think that, while you are grateful to God for the signal success with which he has graciously crowned the labors of his servants in New Zealand, you will also express your cordial approbation of the vigorous prosecution of the society's operations in that mission, by its gradual extension as circumstances may providentially admit.

I have attended the death beds of upward of forty natives; and have witnessed some of those scenes which are so delightful to a Christian. I cannot express the pleasure which I have felt, on some of those occasions, at witnessing the firmness of their faith, the sincerity of their love to Christ, and their joy and triumph in the prospect of dissolution. Such expressions as these have often proceeded from the lips of dying New Zealanders:"Oh when shall I come and appear before God?"-"When shall I go to see Jesus Christ?" "When shall I have done feeling any sin within me?"-"When shall I have

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