York Spectator of February 24, 1798, and published in the London Evangelical Magazine of May, 1798, page 206, refpecting the Northern Miffionary Society, which affembled at Lanfingburgh, February 13, 1798. We found in both thofe productions, that hearty zeal for extending the knowledge of the gospel among the heathen, of which, we truft, we also have, in a small degree, been made partakers. Before this time we fhould have made ourselves known to both your Societies, had it not been that we wished previously to have received some more minute information of your acts and proceedings, of which, through the imperfect communication in prefent circumstances, we are yet deprived. We have determined, however, to remain filent no longer. It is the wifh of our hearts, that we and our labours may partake of your love and your prayers: to introduce which, we sequeft you will please to accept of the fmall pieces herewith inclosed, which contain the principles of our inftitution, and the report of our acts, which, in the course of the two laft years, we have been enabled to communicate to our members at our general annual meeting.From them you will difcover, that our labours are, as yet, very circumfcribed. The oppreffed and unfettled ftate of our country will not admit of more extenfive exertions; but the Lord our God is Almighty; from this diminutive muftard feed he can produce a tree, whofe branches fhall extend over the heathen nations. Your established government, the bleffed peace which you still enjoy, and the favourable pofition of your country, verging upon immeafurable fields to the weftward, which open beyond your frontiers, to the furrounding heathen, affords a fingular advantage to your efforts; while, on the contrary, every thing that we undertake is fubjected to greater dangers and heavier expenfes. Whatever we have as yet deliberated, or effected abroad, is only a small beginning, of what we wish to accom-. plifh, if it fhall please divine providence again to restore to us peace and liberty. It is especially our defire to turn our attention to a part of our former foreign poffeffions, and there resume the neglected work and plant the banners of the cross among that blinded people, who have been heretofore monuments of the irreligion of our nation, and for which, the lofs of thofe Colonies at prefent may be confidered a righteous difpenfation. What we therefore request of you, our worthy and highly esteemed brethren, is, that we may have fome intereft in your prayers for fuccefs upon our weak labours; and that we may be honoured with the affurance of your affection, and with tidings of the bleffings with which it may please the Lord to crown your work. Your proceedings will form a ftandard for our imitation; the fruit of your labours will encourage us, amidft furrounding difficulties, to become ftedfaft and unmoveable in the work of the Lord. We shall cheerfully confider it a duty to communicate to you, from time to time, whatever is undertaken by us, either as it refpects our foreign or domeftic plans, and shall be happy to be favoured with your counfel. We rejoiced much in the agreeable intelligence which reached us from fome of your States, refpecting the revival of religion, which, during the last year, and fince, has been remarkably displayed in the converfion of many fouls. It is our moft fervent prayer, that the bleffing may widely extend over a people fo highly privileged, fo eminently happy. If we may obtain from you any intelligence of the general profperous ftate of the church, it will, to us, be very acceptable. We cannot, indeed, fpeak of any uncommon zeal and revival of religion amongst ourselves; yet we may with gratitude mention, that, befide the efforts of our Miffionary Society, the Lord has not fuffered, even in the midst of a deplorable degeneracy of our nation from the morals of our anceftors, the labours of his fervants in fundry places to be destitute of a bleffing. He ftill preferves a feed which Befires to continue faithful to him. We commend ourselves to the participation of your Chriftian love, and you, with ourfelves, to the interceffion of our Great High Prieft, the Shepherd and Bi shop of fouls! May he beftow a rich bleffing upon your undertakings May he guide and defend your Miffionaries in their perilous travels! May. he furnish them for their important work! The Lord himself direct the feet of those who bring good tidings, who publifh peace, that, after winning many fouls, they may joyfully return with a full harveft of the gospel! In the name of the Netherland Miffionary Society, RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. From the Evangelical Magazine, for Nov. 1801. ON N Saturday, September 8, returned the Miffion aries, Buchanan, Kelfo, and Wilkinson. They left that ifland on the 24th of January, in the Betfy letter of marque, Captain Clark, and proceeded to Port Jackfon, from whence they obtained a free paffage in his Majefty's fhip the Reliance, Captain Waterhouse. They report, that they remained at their stations without receiving any material injury from the natives, until the breaking out of a civil war, in April, 1799. On the 24th of that month, the king was fecretly affaffinated by his nephew. The king's brother, and many of the chiefs, immediately united to revenge this outrage. The affaffin was alfo fupported by a powerful faction, who repaired to his ftandard to decide the fate of the parties by a general battle. The Miffionaries had, from their entrance on the ifland, feparated themfelves, to prevent jealoufies, and promote the object of their miffion; and had fettled under the patronage of different chiefs; fome under perfons who fided with the king's brother, and others under chiefs who united with the ufurper. In the firft battle, the royalifts were victorious, who, in pursuing the fugitives, came to the house of the Miffionaries Bowel, Galton, and Harper, whom they murdered, and collecting their property, fet fire to their house. The next battle proved fatal to the adherents of the king, many of whom fell in the conflict, and most of the chiefs were afterwards put to death.The other Miffionaries fled to the rocks, after being plundered of all their property; but the ufurper promifing not to kill them, they returned to their dwelling, where they continued nine months; fometimes diftreffed for provifions, and receiving none but what was given for converting the iron the natives had taken into knives and other implements. Here, however, they determined to stay till the return of the Duff, when they should know the further pleafure of the Society concerning them. The laft feven months the ufurper had been among the circumjacent iflands, receiving the fubmiffion of their inhabitants; and the Miffionaries knowing him to be very deceitful. and cruel, dreaded his return, as both his friends and enemies united in opinion, that it was very probable he would kill them. At this juncture arrived the Betly, with a Spanish prize, laft from Otaheite, which Mr. Harris, one of the Miffionaries, undertook to navigate to Port Jackson, on condition that Captain Clark would call at Tongataboo, and fee the brethren. Finding, on their arrival, the perilous fituation of the Miffionaries, and the little profpect of fuccefs that prefented itfelf in their circumftances, they advised them to quit the island, and Captain Clark very humanely offered them a free paffage to Port Jackfon. Meffrs. Cooper, Shelly, Buchanan, Kelfo, and Wilkinson, accepted this offer, and went with him; the two former of whom chofe to continue in the colony, and Mr. Harris, after taking in the prize, refufed to return home, or to accept of a lucrative office tendered to him by Governor Hunter, choofing rather to return to his ftation at Ota-heite by the first conveyance that might offer. The Miffionaries fpeak in the strongest terms of commendation of their murdered brethren, for the piety, diligence, and earnest endeavours to promote the views of the Society. They had began to make improvements in agriculture, which the chief under whom they refided wished his people to imitate, and whofe regard for them led him to erect a fiatooka, or monument, over their duft; and he was fo affected with their death, that he never fpoke of them afterwards but with tears. The brethren add, that about a month after the departure of the Duff, a veffel called and left fix Englishmen, five of whom, together with the two who remained when Captain Wilfon came away, proved their greatest enemies, and excited in the minds of the natives a thoufand jealoufies, prejudical to their fuccefs. OTAHEITE. Honoured Brother, Matavai, Dec. 27, 1799, HAVING another opportunity to acknowledge my obligations to you, and to fulfil your request, I fend you thefe few lines, hoping they will meet you and yours poffeffing a divine fenfe of the love of God in your hearts, and the bleffing of Chrift upon your life and labours. The feelings of mind in which I write to you, are not well to be expreffed; but they are of that nature, I think, as are incident to fuch a fituation as mine. A Christian without temptations, and a Miffionary without tribulations and disappointments, are fuch characters as I cannot meet with in God's word, nor do I ever expect to fee, or hear of, in all the kingdom of Chrift. I think all who are called by Chrift, to labour in his kingdom, are by him fo purged and purified, that their every offering may be the product of his grace, and the glory manifeftly due to himself. But, O! who can trace him herein? what amazing diverse methods does he take? but how fure and exactly does he perform his most righteous will? He calls forth the exercife of every grace in his people, in fuch order, and by such means, as that the excellency of the fame may everlaftingly abide, to the praise of his glory. There is a vein of mercy and faithfulnefs runs through all his difpenfations |
