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tion for commemorating the Savior's dying || among them. We met in December last, love next Sabbath; and we feel more and more pleased with these dear Christians, as we converse with them all, individually, respecting the state of their souls. Besides the two suspended some time since, not the least occasion of church discipline has yet appeared; and we feel that the presence of the blessed Holy Spirit is in our midst.

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State of the Native Churches at Tahiti.

THE mission on Tahiti, where the missionaries arrived in March, 1797, was the first commenced by the London Society, and among the earliest of modern missions. Since that period numerous associations have been organized in christian countries for sending the gospel to the heathen, which have been from year to year occupying new posts and constantly extending their operations in heathen lands. Mr. Nott, the writer of the following article, was one of the earliest missionaries to Tahiti, and having witnessed the progress and reverses of the work there, is well qualified to testify respecting what has been accomplished. The editors of the London Missionary Magazine introduce his communication with the following remarks.

The friends of the society have been informed of the arrival of Mr. Nott, who has returned to this country after the labor of forty eventful years in the South Sea Islands, during which he has witnessed, and been a chief instrument in effecting, by the blessing of the Most High, one of the most marvellous and important changes that any nation can experience-the abandonment of idolatry, and the adoption of the christian faith. The following extract is from a communication addressed, by this devoted servant of Christ, to the directors of the society, since his arrival in England, and will be perused, we are assured, with grateful

and I was then enabled to state that the Scriptures were finished. This excited in their minds, as also in my own, gratitude to God for his supporting goodness, in sparing my life, and enabling me to finish what I had, with long and unremitting endeavors, labored to accomplish. It now appeared to the brethren very desirable that the Scriptures should be printed in England, by the aid of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The work was felt to be too great for us to attempt. Detached portions of Scripture, as a single Gospel, or a single book, a spelling-book, or a tract, might be accomplished; but the entire volume of Divine Revelation could at best only be done in a very inferior manner, and by a process so slow as to occasion a most undesirable delay. The brethren were very apprehensive of the risk I should incur in another voyage round Cape Horn, and though they did not doubt that the change of air would tend to restore my exhausted energy and health; yet, they rather hoped than believed, that I should reach my native country in such a state of health as to be instrumental in forwarding the printing of the Bible for the poor Tahitians. This was my hope; the thought of it cheered and animated my spirit in the prospect of dangers, and the uncertainty as to how I might bear the voyage. By the good hand of God upon us we have arrived at the land of our fathers, in improved health, and have found that the Lord has been better to us than all our fears.

was

You will naturally be anxious to know in what circumstances I left the brethren, and the people of my charge; and it is with devout gratitude to the Father of mercies I inform you, that it is long since the spiritual state of the people, among whom I labored, so encouraging as when I left. The Lord has put his hand a second time to the cause, and has revived his work in the midst of the years. We received, with much encouragement, the assurance of your affectionate sympathy with us in the trials to which our churches were exposed, from the improper conduct of some, once numbered among their members, from the occurrence of war, and the shameful importation of ardent spirits. But it will be gratifying to you to know, that when the irregularities produced by these causes, especially by the latter, were greatest, the mass of the peoOn the 20th of February, 1836, I embark-ple were in sobriety and peace, and a large ed, with Mrs. Nott, on board the French brig Courier, bound for Bordeaux, and anchored off that city on the 5th of June, having been only three months and a half at sea. At the quarterly meeting of the brethren in Tahiti, in September, 1835, I informed them, that by the time of our next meeting, which would be in the following Decem ber, I hoped to lay before them the whole of the Scriptures in the Tahitian language. This information produced no small joy VOL. XXXIII.

satisfaction.

majority of the members of the churches, with perhaps only one exception, remained stedfast in the faith, and order, and purity of the gospel.

At my own station, Papaoa, in the close of the summer of 1835, several, among those who seemed neither to fear God nor regard man, came forward, expressing repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. These persons belonged to two dif ferent classes. Some were among those

6

are seeking salvation through the blood of the Lamb! On these occasions it often gave me unspeakable pleasure to see many of the poor old members of the church creep along the beach with tottering steps, and leaning on a staff, as they approached the chapel to which they came, that they might be present to hear the instruction given to those over

secret and in public, who were now turning
to the Lord. On inquiring of them what
was their reason for coming, as the instruc-
tions given were generally a repetition of
what had been formerly given to themselves,
they said that God had answered their
prayers, by fulfilling that passage of Scrip-
ture which I had formerly preached from,
"Compel them to come in, that my house
may be filled." God was now filling his
house with these poor outcasts, who were
not a people, but are now the people of
God. "And now we entreat you to perse-
vere in exhorting and warning them to flee
from the wrath to come.
Tell them, as you
are telling them, to stand aside, every one
of them who are on the Lord's side, by tens,
by twenties, and by hundreds, and let them
seek with earnestness and sincerity, that
they may be enrolled among the people of
God. Tell them not to spend either their
time or their labor for that which is not
bread, or to give to the things of time that
attention which is only due to the things of
eternity. Do not keep them too long out of
the church; you will find them more intelli-
gent than in former years, when you were
instructing us and receiving us into the
church. They can read and write too, and
understand the different catechisms very
well. These they learned long ago, but be-
ing deceived by the devil they have neg-
lected their books; now they apply to you
to be instructed and received into the
church, and we hope you will not delay
their admittance too long."

who had never made more than a nominal profession of Christianity, by abandoning idolatry, and joining in public christian worship, and other outward observances. They had never given evidence of personal concern on the subject of religion; but had rather, without much consideration, followed the stream when the nation, as such, adopted the christian faith; they had never been bap-whom they had often wept, and prayed in tised. Others were among those who had been baptised in their infancy, as children of church members, but had never been convinced of sin, or of their need of a Redeemer to save them from the wrath to come. Both these classes, about the time above referred to, appeared under deep conviction of the necessity of personal attention to the state of their souls; and were exceedingly importunate to be numbered with the people of the Lord. They were not, however, importunate in any rude or vain-confident manner, but wished to pursue any course that might be deemed most conducive to the attainment of the object of their desire. To these two classes of persons a third might be added, which seemed under deep religious impressions, viz., those who, though they had been admitted to the church, had, on account of improper conduct, been separated from its fellowship. Many persons of this description applied to me with all the importunity of men in good earnest to obtain that salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. At first they used to come in small parties, two, four, or six at a time. At our quarterly meeting at Papeite, which took place in December, 1835, the brethren inquired into the truth of the reports which they had heard on this subject, and being answered in the affirmative, we rejoiced together on account of what the Lord appeared to be doing in behalf of the poor people -we thanked God and took courage. But when, after the meeting, we returned to our respective stations, the number of those persons who professed to be seeking salvation by the blood of Christ increased greatly, and they came in companies of ten, twenty, and thirty at a time, asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward. These would give me no rest, but pressed me with impor-less fully convinced that I had, in dependtunity at all times in the day, morning, noon, and night; and often, after I had been spending a considerable time with them, instructing, exhorting, and examining them preparatory to baptism and communion with the church, they would still follow me home, as if unwilling to attend to any other sub-language, and have spoken of the impressive ject. I held the meetings with these inquirers in the chapel, and many of the members of the church were accustomed to attend. On these occasions, the latter could not refrain from the expression of their surprise at the great work which God was doing among them. These people, they said, were many of them wild men and women from the mountains, and had only now become tame and tractable, and behold they

Previous to this period, the minds of several of the brethren, including myself, were very powerfully impressed with the vastness and importance of the things of eternity. I never felt satisfied in leaving the chapel, un

ance on the Divine blessing, used my utmost endeavors to persuade men to fly from impending vengeance. I did not feel satisfied unless I had made them feel my words as well as hear them. Others of the missionaries have expressed themselves in similar

urgency and importunity which the Lord had enabled them to use with their people. Thus we were enabled to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine; willing to bear all things, to endure all things for the elect's sake, that they might obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

About a fortnight before I left the island her majesty Pomare and her husband, and

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NOTICES FROM THE MISSIONS.

BEYROOT.-Mrs. Smith, wife of the Rev. Eli Smith, whose severe illness and voyage to Smyrna were mentioned last month, was

ton Theological Seminary, and Mrs. Tracy, of Philadelphia; Rev. F. D. W. Ward, of Rochester, N. Y., also from the Princeton Seminary, and Mrs. Ward, of New York

removed by death, on the 31st of Septem-city; and Doct. John Steele, of Auburn,

ber. A more extended obituary notice will be given in a future number.

CREEKS. Some of the chiefs of the Creek Indians residing on the Arkansas river, having made unfavorable representations to the Indian Agent in that quarter, respecting the missionaries laboring among them, and requested that they might be removed from their country. Orders to that effect were given by the agent on the 9th of September last, to all the missionaries, including those of the Baptist and Methodist denominations, and Rev. John Fleming, and Doct. R. L. Dodge, under the care of the Board. No misconduct is alleged against either of the missionaries of the Board.

EMBARKATION OF MISSIONARIES.

N. Y., and Mrs. Steele, of Cummington, Ms.

Besides prayers and appropriate music, the instructions of the Prudential Committee were read by one of the Secretaries of the Board, and a fraternal address to the missionaries was delivered by the Rev. N. Adams, of Boston.

The company are destined to the Tamul people in Southern India, and will probably labor at Madura, or at new stations to be occupied in the vicinity of that city, where a mission, regarded as an extension of that in Ceylon, has been in operation since July, 1834. The families mentioned above embarked at Boston, on board the ship Saracen, captain Thomson, for Madras, November 23d.

CHOCTAWS.-Mr. Peter Auten and wife, from Chili, and Mr. Jared Olmsted, from Homer, N. Y., and Mrs. Nancy W. Barnes, from Beverly, Mass., destined to the Choctaw mission on the Red River, west of Arkansas, where they are to be employed as

Orleans, on board the ship Richard Bourne, December 12th. They were accompanied by a son of Rev. L. S. Williams of the Choctaw mission, who has spent the last five years in the State of New York.

SOUTHERN INDIA.-A missionary meeting was held in Bowdoin-street Church, Boston, Sabbath evening, November 20th, when the following persons received their public instructions and designation as mis-teachers, embarked at New York for New sionaries of the Board;-Rev. Henry Cherry, of New York city, and recently from the Auburn Theological Seminary, and Mrs. Cherry, of Norwich, Ct.; Rev. Edward Cope, New Lisbon, N. Y., and from the Auburn Theological Seminary, and Mrs. Cope, of Paris, N. Y.; Rev. Nathaniel M. Crane, of West Bloomfield, N. J., and also from the Auburn Seminary, and Mrs. Crane, of Pompey Hill, N. Y.; Rev. Clarendon F. Muzzy, of Athens, Pa., recently from the Andover Theological Seminary, and Mrs. Muzzy, of Wardsboro', Vt.; Rev. William Tracy, of Norwich, Ct., and recently from the Prince

SANDWICH ISLANDS.-On Sabbath evening, December 4th, the largest company of missionaries and assistants which has ever been sent forth by the Board at one time, received their instructions in Park-street meeting-house, consisting of the following persons, thirty-two in all

Rev. Isaac Bliss and wife from Virgil, N Y., where Mr. B. had been for a year or

two pastor of a church; Rev. Daniel T. Conde, of Charlton, N. Y., and his wife, of Jericho, Vt.; Rev. Mark Ives, of Goshen, and his wife, of North Guilford, Ct.; Rev. Thomas Lafon, M. D., from the state of Missouri, and his wife, from New Bedford, Mass.; Doct. Seth L. Andrews and wife, of Pittsford, N. Y.; Mr. Amos S. Cooke, of Fairfield, Con., and his wife, of Sunderland, Mass.; Mr. William S. Van Duzee, of Ogdensburg, N. Y., and his wife, of Southington, Con.; Mr. Edward Bailey and his wife, of Holden, Mass.; Mr. Abner Wilcox, of Harwinton, and his wife, of Norfolk, Con.; Mr. Horton O. Knapp and his wife, of North Greenwich, Con.; Mr. Charles McDonald and his wife, of New York city; Mr. Edwin Locke, of Fitzwilliam, and his wife, of Cornish, N. H.; Mr. Bethuel Munn, of Trumansburg, and his wife, of Skeneateles, N. Y.; Mr. Samuel N. Castle, of Cleaveland, Ohio, and his wife, of Plainfield, N. Y.; Mr. Edward Johnson, of Hollis, and his wife, of Warner, N. H.; and Misses Marcia M. Smith and Lucia G. Smith, of Clinton, N. Y.

Most of this company, excepting the ordained missionaries and the physician, proceed to the island with the expectation of being employed in teaching and superintending schools.

The public services consisted of prayers by the Rev. Mr. Fitch, of Boston, and Rev. Mr. Aiken, of Amherst, N. H., the Instructions of the Prudential Committee by Mr. Anderson, one of the Secretaries of the Board, a fraternal address to the missionaries by Rev. Mr. Bird, recently returned from the mission in Syria, and appropriate music. On the 13th the company assembled on board the barque Mary Frazier, commanded by captain Sumner, when, after singing a hymn, they were commended to the care of the Head of the Church, during their vayage and their future course of labor, in a prayer offered by the Rev. Dr. Jenks, of Boston. Owing to the state of the weather, the vessel did not sail till ten o'clock on the morning of the 14th. pains were spared on the part of the owners and captain to provide the best accommodations, and to render the voyage in all respects comfortable and pleasant, for so large a company.

No

Donations,

FROM NOVEMBER 11TH, TO DECEMBER 10TH, INCLUSIVE.

Board of Foreign Missions in Ref. Dutch chh.
W. R. Thompson, New York city, Tr. 222 70
Central Board of Foreign Missions,

J. Gray, Richmond, Va. Tr. (Óf which fr. a member of Augusta chh 30,) 1,280 00 Brookfield Asso. Ms. Aux. So. A. Newell, Tr. Barre, Evang. so. 66 90

Brimfield, Chh. 80,65; la. 84,06;

mon. con. 35,50; Charlton, Evang so.

East Ware, Gent. and la. 250,90;
mon. con. 92; to constitute Rev.
CYRUS YALE, JOSEPH CUм-
MINGS, LUTHER BROWN, and
THOMAS THWING Hon. Mem.
Hardwick, Gent. 52,90; la. 75,21;
mon. con. 16,34;
New Braintree, Gent. 91,35; la.
77,57; mon. con. 19,58;
North Brookfield, Gent. 180,66;
la. 121,14, mon. con. 48,25;
Oakham, Gent. 37,23; la. 50;
mon. con. 29,50; young la. 15,16;
infant class, 1,58;
Southbridge, Cong. so. (of which

to constitute Rev. EBENEZER
CARPENTER an Hon. Mem. 50;)
South Brookfield, Gent. 33,46, la.
30,75; mon. con. 20,66;
Spencer, Gent. 45,55; la. 66,14;
mon.con. 13;

West Brookfield, Gent. 126; la. 94,16; mon. con. 65,24; male juv. so. 6,50; fem. do. 8,10; West Ware, Gent. 40,68; la. 30,15;

200 21 8.87

352 90

144 45

188 50

350 05

133 47

84 26

84 87

124 69

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mon. con. 9,91;

148 67

300 00

70 83 2,467 35

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Mem. 50;) 559,29; a friend, 6,50: 582 42-622 42 Fairfield co. East, Ct. Aux. So. S. Sterling, Tr. Bridgeport, 1st so. Gent. 35;12; la. 31,09; mon. con. 37,55; Brookfield, Char. so. 13; Dorcas asso. 5,53;

Danbury, Gent. and la. 185,44;
mon. con. 71,61;
Huntington, Gent. 69; la. 63,63;
mon. con. 34,39; la glean. so. 20;
Monroe, Gent. 9,25; la. 22,98;
New Fairfield, Miss. so.

103 76

18 53

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Ogden, Presb. chh. and cong. (of which to constitute Rev. C. P. WING an Hon. Mem. 50;)

Pennfield, Presb. chh.

Pittsford, Presb. chh. (of which to constitute SETH L. ANDREWS an Hon. Mem. 100;) Richmond, Presb. chh. and cong. (of which to constitute Mrs. SOPHIA BILLINGTON an Hon. Mem. 100;) 200; T. Williams, to constitute Rev. LINUS W. BILLINGTON an Hon. Mem. 50; Riga, Cong. chh. Rochester, 1st presb. chh. (of which to constitute LEVI WARD, Jr. and MOSES CHAPIN Hon. Mem. 200;) 306,25; 3d presb. chh. (of which to constitute Rev. WILLIAM MACK an Hon. Mem. 50;) 170; Brick chh. (of which to constitute Rev. D. N. MERRITT, HARRY PRATT, and O. HASTINGS Hon. Mem. 250;) 266,21; sab. sch. for John H. Thompson in Ceylon, 20; C. M. Lee, to constitute CHARLES G. LEE an Hon. Mem. 100; Sweden, Fem. benev. so. Warsaw, Presb. chh. and cong.

95; A. Woodruff, 10;

West Mendon, Presb. chh.

145 00

27 04

122 49

250 00 12 00

862 46 15.00

105 00

75 00-1,953 81

New Haven City, Ct. Aux. So. F. T. Jarman, Tr.
Center chh. and cong. 318,04; mon. con.

in 1st and united so. 50,73; do. in Yale
College, 8,68; do in 3d chh. 18,46; ann.
pay. of Misses Ralston, Christie and
Hickok, for Grove Hall school in Cey-
lon, 30;

425 91

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Canton, Gent. 36,70; mon. con.

20

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44 35

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150 00

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Hamden, E. Plains, Gent. 12,17;

Granby, Gent. 8,65; a friend, 1,28;

9 93

la. 12;

24 17

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Mount Carmel, Gent. 24,03; la.

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Milford, 1st so. Gent. 61,36; la.

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Middlebury, Benev. so.

48,40; la. sewing so. for schools in Ceylon, 35; sab. sch. for do. 30; chh. 50;

43 03

224 76

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2d so. Gent. 27; la. 25; united

Windsor, Gent.

34 50-1,173 02

Antrim, Gent.

Bedford, La.

Hillsboro' co. N. H. Aux. So. R. Boylston, Tr.

Latchfield co. Ct. Aux. So. C. L. Webb, Tr. (Of which fr. Bridgewater, Coll. 26,91; Litchfield, Dona. 10; New Hartford, S. so. Coll. 42; Plymouth, 1; sab. sch. miss. so. for Rev. P. Parker, Canton, 20,36; Sharon, Ellsworth so. Coll. 21,85; South Britain, Mon. con. 8,89; coll. 87,19;) Middlesex North and vic. Ms. Char. so. J. S. Adams, Tr.

Asso. viz. Ashby, 29,43; Boxboro', 9,50; Dunstable, 66,24; Fitchburg, 221,51; Groton, 44,65; Harvard, 90,38; Leominster, 19,28; Pepperell, 163,94; Shirley, 5; Sterling, 30.75; Townsend, 37,89, (of which to con

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16 25

22 3538 60

North Milford, Gent. 25,61; la. 21,04; a friend, 13;

59 65

Oxford, Chh.

33 12

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New York City and Brooklyn, Aux. So.
W. W. Chester, Tr. (Of which from J.
Nitchie, to constitute Rev. HENRY
WHITE an Hon. Mem. 50; fr. A. Ed.
wards, to constitute WILLIAM ED-
WARDS, Mrs. REBECCA T. EDWARDS,
ALFRED EDWARDS, Mrs. SOPHIA M. L.
EDWARDS, and Mrs. SOPHIA N. LEWIS
Hon. Mem. 500; Mrs. J. Sayrs, for Isaac
Sayrs in Ceylon, 20; Mrs. S. Cobb, 2d
pay. for Margaret Nitchie in Ceylon,
33,50;)

2,652 15

Norfolk co. Ms. Aux. So. Rev. Dr. Burgess, Tr. Milton, La. sew. circle,

24 58

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