Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-11-08

$50 is he that layeth up treasure for himself
and is not rich toward God" Where acas
the prophet!-Robert Merton, 1882
NEvIN'S REMAINS.
From the London Evangelical Magazine for
August.
SOUTH SEAS.
STATE OF THE NATIVE CHURCHES AT TAHITI.
BY the Rev. Henry Mott
In the Missionary Magazine for July, the
friends ofthc Society were informed of the
arrival of Mr.. Mott, who had returned to
this country after the labor of forty eventful
years in the South Sea Islands, during which
he had Witnessed, and been chief instru-
ment in effecting by the blessing Of the
Most High, one ofthc most marvellous and
important changes that any nation can ex-
pcricncc-the a abandonment of ldolatry,
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, snice his ar
rival in England, and will be pursued, we
are assured, with grateful satisfaction.
On the Goth of February, 1886, en-
barked, with Mr.. Mott, on board the French
brig Courier, bound for Bordeaux, and an
chored of that city on the 9th Of June, hav-
ing been only three months and half at
sea. AT the quarterly meeting ofthe breth-
rem in Tahiti, in September 1885, inform
d them, that by the time ofour next meet
ing, which would be in the following De-
cembcr, hoped to lay before them the
whole of the Scriptures in the Tahltlan Ian.
guagc. This information produced no
small Joy among them. We met in De-
cembcr last, and was then enabled to state
that the Scriptures were finished. This ex-
cited in their minds, as also in my own,
gratitude to God for his supporting good
ness, in sparing my life, and enabling me
to finish what had, with long and unremit-
ting endeavors, laboured to accomplish. 1t
now appeared to the brethren very deslfa-
bic that the Scriptures should be printed in
England, by the aid Of the British and For
cisn Bible Society. The work was felt TO
be too great for us to attempt. Detached
portions of Scripture, as single Gospel, of
a single book, spelling book, or tract
might be accomplished; but the entire VOL
ume of Divine Revelation could at best, on
y be done in an inferior manner, and by a
process so slow, as to occasion a most un-
desirable delay. The brethren were very
apprehensive of the risk | should incur, Of
another voyage round Cape Horn, and
though they did not doubt that the change
Of air would tend to restore my ex-
hausted energy and health; yet they rather
hoped than believed | should reach my ma
i've country in such 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
my spirit in the prospect of dan
gers, and the uncertainty as to how | 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.
"You will naturally be anxious to know
IN what circumstances | left the brethren,
and the people ofmy charge: and it is with
1evout gratitude to the Father of mercies |
inform you, that it is long since the spiritual
state of the people among whom labored,
was so encouraging as when | left. The
Lord has put his hand q 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 deep
sympathy for 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 spir.
its. 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 people were
in sobriety and peace, and large majority
of the members of the churches, with, per-
haps, 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 1885, 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. Thesepersons belonged to two diff
ferent classes. Some were among those who
had never made more than a nominal pro.
fess;on ofChrstianity, by abandoning idola-