The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-21
The Arm Of the Lord and the Arm OF
Flesh.

The Arm Of the Lord and the Arm OF
Flesh.
The following incident in the life OF
John Hunt, missionary to the Canni'
bal Islands in 1S45, is grand illustra'
ton of the influence Christianity has
produced upon the heather lnhablt.
ants, when not accompanied by wal
or drunkenness. Thakombau, the
Mbau king, had just arrived on war.
like expedition against the island OF
Viva, where the missionaries were
living.
1.-THE missionaries pleaded with
him fora long while to be merciful.
The Christian natives were very firm,
two of them meeting near the mission
house, shook hands warmly, and, with
O cheerful smile, exclaimed, Heaven
is very near They even prepared
food to set before their enemies. They
retired to the bush, their usual place
for prayer, and many voice was
heard there in exulting praise, and
many praying for the salvation o1
their enemies.
"The heather said: oh, if you
missionaries would &c away! It is
your presence that prevents us killing
them. If you would go away you
would not reach Moturiki-an island
close by-before all these Viva people
would be in the oven y While the
consultation was going on in the stone
house, Lydia Vatea, the converted
queen, entered, and, on her knees
with many tears, besought her kins'
man, Thakombau, to join the Lotu-
become a Christian. She told how
happy the religion of Jesus made her,
and how it fortified her against all
fear of death. The great chief wond'
cred at this strange religion, which
enabled its followers to be so happy in
the prospect of the ovens. ...
"All that day the returning war
riors, armed with clubs and muskets
were arriving at Viva, until the place
was filled and surrounded with the
forces of Mbau, against whom the few
Christian were powerless.
"But they showed no wish to resist
They were Gods people, and He in
whom they trusted cared for them
In proportion as the heathen grew in
number, so they seemed to wauer in
purpose, until they said, we came te
kill this people. and we cannot Lift
hand.' Towards night they withdrew
quietly, acknowledging that the
Christians God was too strong fol
them. AS they passed through the
bush to their canoes, many o. the con
vered Viwans, whom they had come
to destroy, accompanied them, carry.
ing for them the clubs that hao
been brought for the expected slaught
er.
"After this the dark and imminent
storm passed away, and the misslona
ries and their charge were left in com
parative freedom" +,
The Hawaiian Kingdom-SandWict
Islands-with a population of $1,000
is governed on peace principles ); ant
they have prospered so well unde'
them, that though it is not yet cen
tury since the missionaries commenc
ed the work of reclaiming them from
their wars and other savage practices
thew have now q constitutional mon
archy. an excellent civil code, a vel
observed Sabbath, good public schools
and q more extensive commerce II
proportion to their population thar
any other country in the world. Thl
has been accomplished under a gospe
preaching that was not obliged Il
stifle its true sentiments on the wa
question for fear of displeas1ng III
| ftuential hearers, as is 80 frequently
the case in more powerful countries
where too many of the ministers ar
(as far as war is concerned), hk'
Isaiah's dumb dogs that cannot bark
Isa. Sc : 10.
The independence of the island
was several times threatened by
France, and some of the inhabitants
were urgent for forcible resistance
but the king and council, at tn
prompting of their peace-lovlng, mis-
sionary, Titus Coan, sent q proclamIaa
tion over the group of islands,, call
ing on the churches not to fight, bu
pray. The French were naturally dis
couraged at pushing conquest thai
would bring so little glory and 81
much disgrace, so they retired. Be
fore leaving they destroyed severa
thousand dollars, worth OF properly
but any resistance would have caused
Ian increase in this destruction, and a.
the same time woule have lesseneo
the disgrace of the aggressors. Tht
British took possession with a small
frigate, but there was no resistance
The invader was monarch for fivt
months, and the British flag foatec
over custom house, fort, and port
But public opinion in the islands ant
in Europe brought down the British tiae
and sent up the Hawaiian signal.
Harris Knight in Messenger o
Doooo