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SOUTH SEA MISSIONS.

FRIENDLY ISLANDS: VAVOU GROUP.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Peter Turner, dated Vavou, September 1st, 1834.

WE have had a most glorious revival of religion amongst us at Vavou; such as I never either saw or read of. It exceeds most of the remarkable revivals in America. There are not many in the island who do not either experience the pardoning mercy of God, or are seeking to possess the same by repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus.

Yes,

For many months we have had a blessed feeling in our prayer-meetings, which we instituted in every place in the island, to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God. The Lord was entreated of us, and has given us the desire of our hearts. we have more than we asked for ! We asked for much, but he has bestowed on us an abundance! The little seed which has been scattered upon the tops of the mountains of sin and idolatry has taken root and sprung up, and is producing fruit, not only beautiful to the sight of men, but well-pleasing to God, who sees things as they really are, and searches the heart of man.

The long-expected shower of divine grace was poured upon us at the opening of a house erected by the Leaders, free of any expense to the Mission; in which we might hold the Leaders-meeting, and transact the business of the Circuit. We had a prayer-meeting in the morning, and a love-feast in the afternoon. Many of the Leaders were deeply affected, and some filled with the love of God. This blessed visit from on high only excited our desires more and more, and urged us to increased exertions. We all agreed to meet in private at the throne of grace every day at noon, to pray for a copious outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On Tuesday, July 23d, 1834, the Lord answered our prayers in an unexpected manner. While a Local Preacher was preaching at a village called Utui, on the compassion of Christ towards the devoted city, many felt the spirit of deep conviction, and cried aloud for the disquietude of their souls. This soon became universal. They continued in prayer most of the night; during which time many found mercy. I and brother Cargill went to give them some instruction, and to encourage the blessed work. The Sabbath following, a similar revival commenced at Feleton, where there are five hundred persons: all, from the least to the greatest, were earnestly seeking salvation. Soon it spread to every place in Vavou, and

also to the smaller islands which form this group, on which there are inhabitants. On Tuesday, July 27th, we believe that not fewer than one thousand souls were converted unto God; not now from dumb idols only, but from sin to righteousness, and from the power of Satan unto God. We were frequently much grieved before, because real conversions were very rare; but few enjoyed peace with God, or knew the power of Jesus's blood to cleanse from all sin. But we have now a goodly number who make a credible profession of these great blessings. For a week or two we were not able to hold the schools, but had prayermeetings six times a day. We could not speak five minutes before all were in tears, and numbers prostrated before the Lord, absorbed in deep concern about salvation. Frequently, their first words were, "Praise the Lord! I never knew Jesus until now. Now I do know him. He has taken away all my sins. I love Jesu Kalaise." Some were so filled with joy through believing, that they could not contain themselves, but cried out for "hearts to praise the Lord." This has not been like the dew descending upon the tender herb, but as the spring-tide, or as the overflowing of some mighty river: all the mounds of sin have been swept away; the people have been willing in the day of his power. I may say, the Lord has bowed the whole island to his sway. We have to hold two prayermeetings daily, and many are brought into the enjoyment of pardon and holiness. We have ascertained that the total number in society is three thousand and sixty-six, and the number converted, for the most part within the past six weeks, is two thousand two hundred and sixty-two. Preaching-places, all at the same hour, twenty: schools, male, twenty; female, twenty: Class-Leaders, one hundred and three: Local Preachers, forty. The island wears a more encouraging aspect than formerly. The people are becoming industrious. At each place we have a new chapel; and the people are erecting better houses for themselves, and cultivating the land more. We may say that this people are becoming more civilized, industrious, economical, and obedient. They are wishful to imitate Europeans in every thing excellent; but they are afraid of evil.

VOL. XIV. Third Series. OCTOBER, 1835

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FRIENDLY ISLANDS: HAABAI GROUP.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Tucker,

dated Lifuka, Sept. 10th, 1834.

"over

I HAVE to communicate intelligence which will gladden your hearts, and the hearts of all who love the Saviour, and cause the song of praise and thanksgiving to ascend to heaven for the great and glorious work which God has lately wrought among this people. Glory be to his name for ever, for what our ears have heard, for what our eyes have seen, and for what our hearts have felt! There has been a most glorious and extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit recently at Vavou and on this station. (We have not yet heard from Tonga.) It has been a Pentecostal season, an whelming shower of saving grace." They were visited first at Vavou; where a good work had been going on for several months. The King and Queen were among the penitent seekers of salvation, and are now among the saved of the Lord. They were in great distress of soul, on their knees, with hundreds of other penitents, weeping aloud, and calling upon the Lord for mercy. Their prayer was heard; the load of guilt was taken away, and their souls were filled with peace and joy through believing. They obtained this blessing about midnight, while seek ing God by earnest prayer in their habitation.

The King has written to brother Watkins a very delightful letter; giving an account of the great things the Lord had done for him and the Queen. You may judge something of the joy we felt on receiving these glad tidings. We had been favoured with some droppings of a shower of heavenly influence for some time prior to our hearing from Vavou. Two persons were blessed with pardon on Sunday, the 3d of August; but on Saturday, the 9th, the work of God proceeded in a most glorious and wonderful manner. We met the Leaders in the afternoon, and had a kind of class and prayer meeting: the Lord was present of a truth; many were so deeply wrought upon by the Holy Spirit that they wept aloud, and were unable to express their feelings. We adjourned to the chapel. There were from four to five hundred persons present. As soon as the service began, the windows of heaven were opened, and the Spirit was poured out from on high. Men, women, and children were weeping on every side, and praying for mercy in an agony of soul. I never saw or heard of any thing equal to it; the arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in their souls; their cries were piercing; some were weeping aloud, some were

smiting on their breast like the publican, and breathing forth the sinner's only plea: "God be merciful to me, a sinner." We had plenty of work in going about among the penitents, pointing them to "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world," and praying with and for them. God was present to heal as well as to wound; many were soon enabled to lay hold by faith on Jesus as their Saviour, and found redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of all their sins. Our opinion is, that not less than one hundred souls experienced the salvation of God that evening. Many remained on their knees throughout the meeting, and it was with difficulty that we persuaded them to separate when it became dark, though we promised to assemble again at daylight in the morning. Many others went home with a heavy heart; they were deeply wounded by the Spirit of conviction, and refused to give sleep to their eyes or slumber to their eyelids; but wrestled, Jacob-like, with the Angel of the Covenant until the daw dawned; and, blessed be God! many found him to the joy of their souls. In the morning we repaired to the house of prayer as soon as it was light. Some hundreds were obliged to remain in the chapel-yard. The Lord made the place of his feet glorious: the stout-hearted began to tremble; there was a mighty shaking among the dry bones. As soon as the service began, the cries of the people began; they were melted into tears on every hand, and many of them cried aloud, by reason of the disquietude of their souls. O what a solemn, but joyful sight, to behold! One thousand or more individuals bowed before the Lord, weeping at the feet of Jesus, and praying in an agony of soul! I never saw such distress; never heard such cries for mercy, or such confession of sin before; these things were universal, from the greatest Chiefs in the land to the meanest individuals; and of both sexes, old and young. The Lord heard the sighing of the prisoners; he bound up many a broken-hearted sinner in that meeting, and proclaimed liberty to many a captive. We were filled with wonder and gratitude, and lost in praise, on witnessing the Lord making bare his arm so gloriously in the sight of the Heathen. We met again about nine o'clock, and had a similar meeting; hundreds wept aloud, and many trembled from head to foot, as though they were about to be judged at the bar of God. We were engaged nearly

the whole day in this blessed work. attended five services, and witnessed hunI dreds of precious souls made happy by a sense of the Saviour's love on that day and the preceding evening. There never was such a Sabbath in Haabai before; it was indeed one of the days of the Son of Man. Many will remember it with pleasure throughout eternity, as the day of their adoption into the heavenly family. During the following week the concern of the people was so great, that they laid aside their work. We had service twice every day but one; the chapel was always full. It was a week of Sabbaths, and of much prayer and praise. Not a day or a night passed but several were disburdened of their load of guilt and fear, by believing on Jesus with their hearts unto righteousness. This blessed work was not confined to this island, (Lifuka,) but spread like fire among stubble, until it had extended over the whole group: before a week had rolled round, every island had caught the flame; the people were earnestly seeking the Lord, or rejoicing because they had found him. were greatly surprised and frightened at Many first; some ran away from the chapel, under the idea that a fearful disease had broken out here, (contagious, of course,)

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and that the people were dying in great numbers. The Lord cut short his work in righteousness in a most wonderful manner. We have not yet received an account from all the islands of the numduring this revival; but, from the number ber who have obtained peace with God already brought in by the Leaders, we believe that upwards of two thousand were truly converted to God in the course them ever unto the end! of a fortnight. May the Lord preserve After reading

this, you will gladly unite with me in saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of and blessed be his glorious name for ever; Israel, who only doeth wondrous things; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and amen."

The most blessed effects have resulted from this work. The teachers are of brethren: many of the most stoutone heart and soul; the people love as hearted have fallen subdued before the cross of Christ. The polygamists have before God. On many of the islands every cast away their sins, and are truly penitent individual is meeting in class. We have filled. service every evening: the chapel is well subsided; for most of them are blessed The distress of the people has with sacred peace.

FRIENDLY ISLANDS: TONGA GROUP.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Thomas, dated Nukualofa, December 6th, 1834.

IT will doubtless afford you and the friends of Missions great pleasure to hear, that it has pleased the great Head of the church, to pour out his Holy Spirit in a very gracious and abundant manner upon the infant societies in the Friendly Islands, and we have had a most astonishing revival of true religion amongst our people. Thousands, as you will have heard from our communications to you, had been brought under the sound of the Gospel in these islands, in the last few years, and received into society; being, for the most part, such as feared God, and brought forth fruits meet for repentance. These have been watched over by us with diligent care. The culture of their minds has been the object of our labour, for the last few years; and long have we prayed for, and expected, the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit upon our people, and our efforts; and now the Lord has made bare his holy arm. The work began in July; and when Mr. P. Turner wrote to me, August 30th, not fewer than two thousand two hundred persons had been savingly converted to God, and made happy in a sense of his love. Shortly after, it broke out at Lifuka, and

soon spread to all the islands of the
Haabai group; high and low, rich
of the divine influence: some had their
and poor, saint and sinner, partaking
hearts instantly filled with the peace and
love of God, and others were overwhelmed
with grief, and cried aloud in the bitter-
ness of their souls. The most blessed
effects followed; some, who had been
like dead trees waiting the axe of the
pray to God, and soon obtained his
divine judgment, now began to weep and
mercy; others, who had been long in a
backsliding state, were now again brought
nigh; nothing but singing and praying
was heard in every part of the islands;
and the Lord blessed them indeed, and
continues to bless them, so that the ene-
mies of religion are constrained to acknow-
things for them.
ledge, that the Lord hath done great

I am happy to inform you, that it
has pleased the Lord to remember us
at Tonga for good, and to grant to us
also a revival of religion. On the 6th
of October, a canoe arrived here from
Lifuka; a Local Preacher, named Joel
visit me, and gave me an
Maples, was on board. He came to
what the Lord had done and was
account of

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a

doing at Vavou and the Haabai group. The same day we held a prayer-meeting in the chapel; and, during the first prayer, several cried aloud, from painful conviction of their sin and danger: this excited alarm in the minds of some of our people, who could not think why the people cried; we sang again, and others prayed, and the Lord wrought upon the minds of several, and gave us proof that he was amongst us. From that time we began to assemble more frequently for prayer, and prevailed upon the Chief to allow us to have a day for special prayer to God, that his blessing might descend upon us ; and the Lord made it a day long to be remembered; a spirit of prayer and supplication was poured out, in an extraordinary degree; at some of our meetings nothing could be heard but weeping and praying for an hour toge ther. While standing to sing,, some would burst into a flood of tears, and cry aloud in the midst of the congregation, and had not power to restrain themselves; almost all present engaged in earnest prayer to God. In the course of about one week, more than ten obtained mercy; and in some weeks twenty have found peace with God. The people have held prayer-meetings at their houses, which have been wonderfully blessed of God; and some nights the whole village has been heard to ring for hours together with the voice of prayer and praise. On many occasions they have gone from the chapel, praising the Lord aloud for his goodness to them. At Tonga, very great good has been done; many backsliders have been brought back, several have turned to God from Heathenism, and many scores have joined the classes. I have not yet

had time to examine the increase in the quarter at the end of September we had added above one hundred; and I judge we shall find more than one hundred added this quarter; and, what is better, most of these were converted to God before they joined us. The work continues to go on. Last Sunday week we held a love-feast; such a scene I never saw, or heard of. The Lord did, indeed, rend the heavens and come down, and the mountains flowed at his presence. Scores, if not hundreds, were bathed in tears of joy; their hearts were filled with love to God and man. Glory be to God! While I now write, my soul again partakes of the general feeling, which then prevailed. Praise the Lord! O praise the Lord! "Let all the people praise him, who only doeth won

drous things, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and amen.” I cannot enter into further particulars. I doubt not but my brethren have given you an account of the work at their stations; and I, therefore, leave it, and must inform you, that, amidst this great work of God, the enemy also has been permitted to rage at Tonga. Early in Novem ber the heathen Chiefs were determined to put an end to the lota, or praying, at the different out-stations, and ordered all the praying people to remove to one place, namely, Nukualofa, the residence of Tubon. The Heathen, being assembled at the yearly feasts called the Fnagee, offering the first-fruit of the yams to their god Heckuses, or "the devil," were moved by hearing of the various insults, as they deemed them, offered to their gods by the praying people; and feeling zealous for their fallen deity, while their hearts were burning with rage against the Lord and against his Anointed, they banded them. selves together, and went to Talafoor, a place near the Meca, the seat of the devil's government. Some were for beating or killing the people; an axe was lifted up against the head of the Chief, but no one was killed: all were ordered to quit the place instantly. This was complied with. The chapel was set on fire, the houses of the people plundered of their contents, and then also set on fire; so that on the 7th of November, Talafoor was burned to the ground. The rabble, headed by their Chief, proceeded to Utulau, and two other places, sent all the people away who would not turn, and burned down the chapel, and carried away what property they found; and our Chief, Tubon, had no power to prevent it. I am thankful to say, our people preferred Christ and his cross, to houses, land, friends, or parents; and hundreds have had to quit their all for his name's sake, who are now living happy in their poverty for Christ's sake, at Nukualofa, in search of a better country, that is, an heavenly. Help us, by your prayers, to suffer and do all the will of God. chapels only have been burned down; but I cannot say how many dwellinghouses. No lives have been taken: for this we bless the Lord, who has thus restrained the rage of the Heathen. I do not think we are in any danger, and hope, ere long, that we shall see the salvation of God. Ata's sons, and their people, have suffered like brave soldiers of the cross. Their father was their enemy, and would have given them into the hands of their foes.

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Olet us praise the Lord, who has all for him; and to forgive their encenabled these young disciples to give up mies, rather than go to war with them.

MISSIONS IN WESTERN AFRICA.

Ir is with mournful feelings that we give insertion to the following letter from our new Missionary station at Cape Coast. The information which it contains is indeed most encouraging; but we lament to state that the amiable and excellent writer of it is no more au inhabitant . of earth. His "sun was gone down," almost as soon as it had begun to shine. Mr. Dunwell died on the 25th of June, after an illness, we believe, of nine days. Further particulars of this calamitous event are daily expected. The Committee had previously determined to send an additional Missionary to his assistance; and now two brethren must be forthwith appointed to the vacant station. We are painfully affected by this dispensation, but not disheartened;" cast down, but not destroyed." Our great Master "buries his workmen, but carries on his work." To Western Africa the people of England owe a debt, which must be paid at all hazards; and God will yet bless our persevering efforts to discharge, in some measure, the solemn obligations of humanity and religion.

CAPE-COAST-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Dunwell, dated April 1st, 1835.

IN my last, I intimated my intention of visiting some crooms, or small villages, in the neighbourhood; and also some other parts of the coast. I visited two: the first is Mamford, about one mile east of Cape-Coast, where there are about two thousand inhabitants, who heard me, at first, with surprise and astonishment. But when the Fetish, "Priests," saw that their craft was likely to be in danger, they used their endeavours to persuade them not to attend, and, to a great extent, succeeded; so that when I go, most of them dare not come out of their houses: but, thank God, all are not so; three have joined the class; and one woman, about a fortnight ago, brought out her household gods, and, in the presence of her neighbours, burned them.

This per

son attends the means of grace regularly at Cape-Coast, and one of the men has opened his house for preaching; so that, I trust, a good work hath begun amongst them.

have given up working on the Sabbath; therefore, as far as I can judge, they do, in some measure, regard the word delivered to them from time to time.

A

On the other parts of the coast, I have only been able to visit one place, namely, Annamaboe. Here there are an English fort, about eight merchants, and, I should suppose, four thousand inhabitants; it lies about eleven miles to leeward. Missionary might be well employed here, and be the means of doing much good. The particulars of my journey will be best furnished by an extract from my journal :

March 25th.-At five o'clock I commenced my journey to Annamaboe. The mode of travelling which I was obliged to adopt was very extraordinary. I engaged six men, who, in their turns, carried me upon their heads, in a basket made for the purpose. I had not proceeded far before I was obliged to alight, and scramble over tremendous rocks, many of which hang over the sea, the waves dashing furiously below. We then left the shore, and entered the wilderness, or forest, which is terrible in its appearance. About half-past eight, I arrived at my destination, and immediately proceeded to a respectable merchant's house, whom I believe to be a sincere Christian. He, in the most generous manner, lent me his hall to preach in, and sent a notice of my intention to the merchants and respectable inhabitants. I had a good congregation, who listened to the word of life

The latter of these places, Parson'sCroom, is about two miles to the west. The inhabitants, I suppose, are about four hundred, who looked upon me as one dropped down from the clouds; they hear the message of salvation with gladness. But, notwithstanding all that I can do to persuade them to the contrary, they will have it, that I shall not continue coming among them. The last time that I went, I found them all assembled to hear the word of God, which gave me great pleasure. I am happy also to say, that they

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