1836.]

CONVERSION OF THE HEATHEN A DIFFICULT WORK.

69

and loathsome and deadly diseases are transmitted from generation to generation. Oh, what disclosures will be made at the bar of God! What an account will Christian nations be called to render to the Judge of all the earth!

In view of these facts, let Christian nations feel their indebtedness to the heathen. Paul felt that he was a debtor to men of every character and description. So should Christians all feel, and in view of this indebtedness, should they act. Oh, my friends, my Christian brethren, how cheerfully ought you, ought we all, to toil for the degraded heathen! Christians been prompt in obeying the command of their ascending Lord, had they not waited till unprincipled men had polluted the heathen, and sown among them the seeds of disease and death, how much misery had been saved to the world! How much more easily might the gospel have been introduced into heathen lands! How many more might have been saved from perdition! I do assure you, dear friends, that I am often ashamed when I look into the face of a heathen, and I pray God to help me and you too, to be faithful in laboring in their behalf, that our garments may be clean from their blood.

CONVERSION OF THE HEATHEN A DIFFICULT WORK.

WE make an extract below from a letter lately received by us from another missionary at the Sandwich islands, written in behalf of his brethren. Some of the views expressed in it have been often repeated by us. But they are truths which need to be enforced and reiterated till they have produced among all Christians their appropriate effect. The conversion of the heathen is not a hopeless work, but it is an exceedingly difficult one. The missionary and his patron need energy, zeal, purity of motive, a spirit of prayer, but pre-eminently PATIENCE. They are not dealing with matter-they are not constructing railroads, nor making a turnpike over a mountain. If they were, the business might be done with all speed. But they are at work on the mind of man in ruins, in stupid debasement, with forms of evil worn into him. A pagan is depraved in another sense from what an Englishman is. The fact, however, furnishes no cause for discouragement. We are able, with the aid of the divine Spirit, to influence the human mind in all the stages of its earthly departures from God. While in a state of probation, the gospel can save it, if it is applied perseveringly, patiently, in full hope, and with unceasing prayer.

It is a great work to convert all nations; a great work to translate the Sandwich Islanders from darkness to light. Much has been done. Much remains undone. The body of heathenism is dead, but its spirit lives. The wooden gods are destroyed, and they profess to adopt the unseen and till lately the unknown God; but they will at first naturally transfer to him the impressions, associations, and attributes, which have, for ages, attached to the imaginary gods of their fathers. They have learned that it is foolish to bow down to a block, but, with few exceptions, they have not wisdom to worship Him who is a Spirit in spirit and in truth. An idolatrous nation may embrace Christianity at once, and be called a Christian people, but a new name does not avail to change the substance designated by it. There needs to be a new creation and not a nominal transfer.

The rites of the ancient religion were rigid, the form precise-the form

being all that required attention. It might be expected, therefore, that in adopting a new religion, whether Christian, Mohammedan, or Jewish, they would be attentive to the external forms. Hence the Society and Sandwich Islanders have been spoken of as shaming the inhabitants of Christian lands in their efforts to be at the place of worship; in their attention, while there, to what is said; in their general performance of the duty of secret and family prayer; in their observance of the Sabbath; and in their abstinence from theft and other crimes. And this is true. But it is not proof that they are better than the inhabitants of Christian lands; for their zeal in the forms of idolatry might also rebuke the disciples of Christ. It may be evidence rather that they are influenced by more efficient motives in the production of external observances than are found in Christendom, or else that temptations to depart from a form of godliness are weaker or fewer in these islands than in Old or New England.

In addition to the influence of their former religion upon that which they have lately adopted, the nature of their government deserves regard. The pleasure of the chiefs has been a forcible motive in directing and propelling the movements of this people. If it be inquired, "What induced the chiefs to adopt the Christian religion and enjoin it on their subjects?" the reply might be, They were weary of the old system, and wished for a change; or it might be ascribed to a supernatural influence. However we may account for the existence of the desire of the chiefs that Christianity should be the religion of their subjects, there can be no doubt but that the expression of that desire would weigh much with the multitude; for the servile and benighted are apt to regard the voice of the king as Herod's was regarded on his birthday, when he made an oration to the people.

I have by me a composition of Laanui, one of the last chiefs, written four years ago, and delivered as a speech at a public examination of the schools, of which the following is a translated extract. Having spoken of former times and of Rihoriho's sailing to England and dying there, he proceeds thus: "The kingdom was transferred to Kauikeaouli his younger brother. This is his proclamation. The individual in my kingdom, who learns the word of God, he is a man for me; the person who does not learn, he is not mine.' This was the voice of the king. All men heard it. The word of God spread; all men attended to it from Hawaii to Kauai, and all the chiefs. A good king he, attending himself to the word and law of God, and his own law also. Thus he made known his pleasure, and so did his guardian [Kaahumanu.] They two went together and spread the word and the law and the salvation of Jesus all around the islands from Hawaii to Kauai." Thus far the extract, which is probably a fair account of the matter.

The principal personages in the nation have, with few exceptions, been the first to unite with the churches formed at the different stations. To such an extent have the churches been composed of the Sandwich Islands' wise, and mighty, and noble, that one must be struck with the inapplicability to their case of the apostle's language to the Corinthians, where he says, "Ye see your calling, brethren," &c. Hence it might be expected that many would be pressing into the church; and such has been the fact. And it has been a difficult point to decide how many and whom to admit. For it would not be strange, if, in such a tide of public opinion in favor of Christianity, many should mistake the nature of Christ's kingdom, as did the disciples in early times, and hope to find in it distinction and glory among men. And this mistake has existed, insomuch that humility is not the most striking characteristic of those who profess to follow the meek and lowly servant of all. As an illustration of this, one of the High School scholars inquired, if it were right for professors of religion to carry burdens. But what struck me forcibly on the subject was this; When the Marquesan mission was going forward, and the question was in reference to suitable persons to accompany the families as domestics, it was deemed unadvisable to select members of the church for this purpose, as they would probably feel above the vocation. And this not because there are none in humble life among the disciples, but because, in their view of it, there is something in being discipled, which changes their rank from the lower to the higher order.

You will not understand me to say, that the popularity of our cause has been to its disadvantage;-that question I do not now agitate-but only that, as a natural consequence of its popularity, many will wish to be united to it, who will not endure unto the end, and that their failure should excite in us and in our friends at home neither surprise nor discouragement.

The strict and general observance of the Sabbath has been justly mentioned to the credit of this people. But the amount of credit given them should be subject to some discount in turning it into the moral currency of New England, from the fact that the people would generally as soon rest two days in seven as one. The temptation to do so is probably quite as strong as to spend them in labor either for themselves or the chiefs.

It is sometimes remarked that no stage-coaches are rattling here to profane the sacred hours; no steam-boats discharging their passengers and smoke. True; and so far as the absence of these renders a day quiet, the Sabbath has little pre-eminence above the other six. It is much easier for this people to abstain from active employments than for those in the United States, and, looking at the external observance of the Lord's day, one might think that the descendants of the Puritans furnish less evidence of regard for it than is seen here. But when half the piety, intelligence, and enterprise of our native land are found here, it will be more difficult for them to obey the voice which says, “In it thou shalt not do any work.”

Mr. Ellis, in his Polynesian Researches, if I do not misremember, mentions the case of a native of the Society islands, who suffered his canoe to be lost on the Sabbath for want of tying up,-a work he was too conscientious to do. But might not this instance as well be adduced to exemplify the force of remaining superstition on his conduct, as the existence of Christian principle.—It was a disputed point among some natives at Lahaina, whether an individual who had died on the Sabbath could be a Christian because she performed this last work of her life on the tabu day, and the decision, if I mistake not, was against her. It was my purpose to make some further observations of a similar character on other points of reform, but there is neither time on my part nor necessity on yours; for our friends, who, like you, have the world under their eye, will be profited little or nothing from the remarks already made. It requires more wisdom than I possess, to report the state of this mission so that either those in error should be corrected, or those in the right be preserved there. I feel, however, no hesitation in saying always, and, every where, that the conversion of the world is a GREAT WORK-much greater, I think, than the churches seem to imagine. He who will correct their views on this subject, will promote, in no small degree, the cause of missions. The men actually engaged in teaching the heathen, have, it may be hoped, as much of that faith commended by James, in the conversion of the world, as those have who remain at home; but they do not think it so easy to be accomplished as our friends at home do.

THE MICO CHARITY.

THIS arises from the sum of money bequeathed by a liberal person in London, more than a century since, the annual proceeds of which were to be applied to the redemption of Christian slaves in Barbary. As slavery in that form has ceased to exist for a considerable time, this fund had accumulated to the amount of upwards of £100,000. A scheme has, in consequence, been sanctioned by the court of chancery, for devoting the proceeds of this fund to the establishment of schools in the British colonies where slavery has been recently abolished. The Rev. J. M. Trew, formerly of Jamaica, with teachers selected by him, has proceeded to that island, to act as the agent of the trustees. The first object is the formation in Jamaica of a normal school, or school for the preparation of teachers. The Scriptures will be the basis of education.

COLLEGE STATISTICS.

Table, showing the number of Graduates at Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth Colleges, each year, from 1801 to 1835 inclusive, and the number who have died in each class, at those institutions, during said period.

The foregoing table shows that of 1,864 persons who have been graduated at Harvard college since 1801, 355 are known to be dead; making one in 5 of the whole number who have died. Of 2,263 who have been graduated at Yale during the same period, 344 have died; being about one in 63. The number of graduates at Dartmouth since 1801, is 1,168, of whom 166 have died; being one in 7 of the whole number. Will some Alumnus of one of those institutions assign the reasons for this difference? J. F.

NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

1. Lectures on Eloquence and Style. By Ebenezer Porter, D. D., late President of the Theological Seminary, Andover. Revised for publication by Rev. Lyman Matthews, Pastor of the South Church, Braintree, Mass. Andover: Gould & Newman. 1836. pp. 180.

THE following is the most complete list of Dr. Porter's publications, which we have been able to make. It is probable that some single sermons are not included.

1. Missionary Sermon, Hartford, Conn. 1806.

2. Fatal Effects of Ardent Spirit, Hartford, 1811.

3. Great Effects from Little Causes, a sermon before the Moral Society, Andover, 1815. 4. Sermon at the Ordination of the Rev. Israel W. Putnam, Portsmouth, N. H. 1815. 5. Character of Nehemiah, a sermon, Andover, 1816.

6 Sermon at the Dedication of the Chapel of the Theol. Sem., Andover, 1819.

7. Sermon at the Ordination of the Rev. Thos. J. Murdock, Portland, Me. 1819.

8. Sermon at the Installation of Rev. D. Oliphant, Beverly, Mass. 1819.

9. Young Preacher's Manual, or a Collection of Treatises on Preaching, Boston, 1819,

1 vol. 8vo. A second edition, enlarged, has since been published.

10. Sermon before the American Education Society, Boston, 1820.

11. Signs of the Times, a sermon delivered at the Public Fast, Andover, 1823.

12. Analysis of Vocal Inflection, (Pamph.) Andover, 1824.

13. Analysis of the Principles of Rhetorical Delivery, 1 vol. 18mo., Andover, 1827. The 7th edition is now (1836) in press.

14. Rhetorical Reader, and a course of Rhetorical Exercises, 1 vol. 18mo., Andover, 1831. Fourteen editions of this book have been published.

15. Syllabus of Lectures, (Pamph.) Andover, 1832.

16. Treatise on Spiritual Mindedness, by John Owen, D. D., abridged by Ebenezer Porter, D. D. Boston, 1833, 1 vol. 18mo.

17. Lectures on Homiletics and Preaching, and on Public Prayer, together with Sermons and Addresses, 1 vol. 8vo. 1834. An edition of this volume was published in Londen, in 1835, with a Preface, and with Notes by Rev. J. Jones of Liverpool.

18. A Practical Exposition of the 130th Psalm, by John Owen, D. D. abridged by Ebenezer Porter, D. D. Boston, 1834, 1 vol. 18mo.

Since the death of Dr. Porter, there have been published from his manuscripts19. The Biblical Reader, consisting of Rhetorical Extracts from the Old and New Testaments, revised for publication by T. D. P. Stone, Andover, 1834, 1 vol. 18mo.; and 20. Lectures on Eloquence, &c. the title of which is given at the head of this article. Dr. Porter also published some sermons in the American National Preacher; and various essays, biographies, etc. in the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, the Panoplist, the Spirit of the Pilgrims, and the American Quarterly Register.

The Lectures on Eloquence do not comprise an entire course. They were intended as a sequel to those which have been incorporated into the author's Analysis of Rhetorical Delivery. He was induced to enlarge on the vocal organs, by the urgent request of those whose judgment he regarded, and because no instruction on the abuses of those organs, had been accessible in any regular form to young ministers. The Lectures on Style are also designedly limited in extent, embracing only a few topics, the discussion of which was deemed most important in its bearing on the reputation and usefulness of the American pulpit. All the lectures discover that good sense, that careful discrimination and cultivated taste, visible in the author's previous publications. They are well worth the study, not only of theological students, but of all who are preparing to become public speakers or to influence the public mind by the press.